Starry Night, Snowy Night
by adoctoraday
Summary: Life beats down and crushes the soul and art reminds you that you have one. Jeremy Danvers has been crushed and beaten by life but come back swinging, fighting to keep his family safe, and to maintain his position as Alpha. His art is his one escape from the unhappiness and violence in life. But when a nosy art dealer comes to StoneHaven, will he be able to maintain his solitude?
1. Stories

Jeremy Danvers was not a man who lost control. His life was organized around the idea of secrecy and authority. Being Alpha of North America meant his life was filled with great responsibility, and often great turmoil.

In the past years that turmoil had grown, with attacks growing from Mutts, and a new threat in the form of witches. His family had grown and shrunk, and he had stood strong as their leader through it all. Now as he stood staring out the window of his large study, staring at the falling snow, he sighed deeply, loneliness echoing through his heart.

Clay and Elena had taken a vacation to Greece, wanting to spend time together in someplace warm and beautiful, away from the house where Logan had died. Nick and Paige were also taking time away together, leaving him alone in the giant house at StoneHaven.

He could hardly blame his family for wanting to be away from the house, it felt dark with emotion and memory. His paintings of late had been brooding and dark, reflecting his own emotions and memories. Despite the bright light coming in from the windows, the room was shrouded in darkness, leaving him feeling oppressed.

Shaking off his haze of emotion, he moved away from the window and went to his room to change into workout clothes. Running down to the basement he began to punch and kick at the heavy bag hanging in the corner, releasing his anger and grief onto it.

An hour later he was streaming with sweat and his anger had faded, leaving him feeling more emotionally level. Wiping his face off with a towel, he walked up the stairs to the kitchen, his body aching with hunger.

Part of him yearned to run, to be free and romp through the snow, but he didn't find the idea of possibly dealing with hunters to be an appealing one. Slamming through the kitchen, he made a sandwich and ate it standing at the counter, glaring at the empty kitchen table, where his family normally gathered. The phone had been ringing all week, annoying him. He knew it wasn't his family, they had his cell phone and would have called there if there was an emergency. Whoever it was, he didn't want to speak to them.

He just wanted to feel at home in his own home again...this loneliness was driving him mad.

Growling with frustration, he flung open the door and stood in the freezing air, taking a deep breath. Perhaps a run wouldn't be such a bad idea...if he kept to the north side of the property, he shouldn't encounter any problems.

As a chill ran over him he felt the Change begin, and breathed deeply, pulling his clothes off. As it completed he took off, galloping through the snow, his powerful haunches propelling him forward.

Jumping over fallen trees and dodging low hanging branches, he panted, finally feeling relief from his heavy emotions. His joy grew as he ran faster, leaping and biting at the snow, feeling playful. He yipped at the squirrels and rabbits that ran across his path but didn't give chase, choosing instead to continue his run across his enormous property.

As he passed closer to the road side of the property, he swirled his head, smelling a human. His ears perked forward and he slowed, trotting closer to the tree line. When he peered through the pine branches he saw a car on the side of the road, with a woman crouched beside it, attempting to change the tire.

"Piece of shit tire…piece of shit car…just like your piece of shit ex-owner. I don't know why I took you…" she grunted and pulled the tire off, continuing to mutter to herself, "Oh yea, because you're the only thing that worthless piece of shit actually cared about. Other than cheating on me of course…"

Dragging the new tire over, she slid it into place and began to put the bolts back in place, swearing with effort. "Fuck! I hate you!" she muttered. When she had finished she stood and kicked the tire before walking to the back of the car, tossing the jack and the tire iron into the trunk.

Slamming it shut she leaned against the side and Jeremy could see her face for the first time. With olive skin and dark hair tucked into a bun, she was lovely, except for the angry, disgruntled expression she was wearing.

Looking up to the sky, she closed her eyes and sighed, whispering, "Why God, why? Wasn't dealing with a cheating husband enough? Now his fancy ass car breaks down on me in the middle of nowhere? Why can't I catch a break?" Her voice broke and she covered her face with her hands.

Jeremy could hear her crying softly and whined gently, wanting to go out and say something. The desire to do so was startling. He normally would have run away, ignoring the situation, but something about her distress reached deep inside him, and touched upon the wellspring of his own grief and anger.

At the sound of his whine her head came up, searching for the noise, her dark eyes searching for the source.

He hunkered down and when she turned away he backed up, turning back towards StoneHaven. As he ran, he pictured her eyes, so haunting and expressive. Shaking his head, he growled, he didn't need to be distracted by some random woman.

As he ran back into the house he began to Change back, groaning as his body underwent the painful process. When he was back to his human form he gathered his clothes and went to shower, his skin prickling painfully from being so cold.

When he had redressed in his standard jeans, button down shirt and waistcoat he made his way down to the study, pouring himself a glass of scotch before settling down on the couch by the fire with a book.

The afternoon light faded into evening, and he finished his book, setting it aside in favor of working on his latest painting. Restlessness overtook him as he stared at the canvas; nothing felt right. Tossing his brushes aside he refilled his glass and wandered through the empty house, yearning for company. His family was gone, and he was a wolf without a Pack.

Sinking down onto the couch once more he sat brooding, staring at the fire, sipping on the scotch as the evening hours slipped by.

* * *

Natalia drove down the icy roads slowly, still unnerved after she had gotten a flat tire. She thanked her father silently for having taught her how to change a tire when she was 15, or she would have been stuck on the side of the road, with no cell service.

She missed New York City already.

If it weren't for the great bump in salary and the chance to work with an amazing unknown artist, she never would have come to Bear Valley. But the gallery she commissioned for had been insistent after seeing a piece of the man's work that she had found and shown at an auction.

Now they wanted her to find him and convince him to sell to them exclusively. From what she had found out, he was a recluse, unwilling to speak to many dealers. Which was why she had wined and dined the last one he had worked with and convinced the man to give her his contact information.

She had tried calling, but there was never any answer at the phone number listed, and there was no voicemail. So, after a futile week, she decided to drive up to Bear Valley and find the elusive Jeremy Danvers.

As she drove into the small town of Bear Valley, she raised a brow; it was literally a one street town. She spied the B&B at the end of the street and turned into the parking lot, sitting for a moment to collect herself.

Gathering her purse and her suitcase she locked the car and walked into the foyer, smiling at the young woman behind the counter. "Hello, I have a reservation under Romano." She leaned on the counter expectantly, waiting while the woman searched through the book on the desk.

Nodding, the young woman smiled and turned to grab a key from the rack behind her, swiveling back around to hand it to her, "Here you are Ms. Romano. It's going to be room number 12. Do you need help with your bag?" she asked politely.

Natalia shook her head, "No thank you, I've got it. Can you tell me what time breakfast is?" she asked, hoping it wasn't too early. She was already tired and wanted to sleep in a bit before exploring what little town there was.

The woman nodded, "Of course, it's 8am. It is served until 9:30am. Is there anything else I can tell you?" she asked.

Natalia shook her head, "Nope, that's great. I'll see you tomorrow morning." She waved and grabbed her suitcase, walking up the stairs to the third story, where she found her room. When she pushed the door open she raised a brow, the room was spacious and airy, painted an eggshell blue. With an ensuite bathroom, it was perfect.

Setting her suitcase on the steamer trunk at the end of the bed, she kicked her shoes off and flopped down on it, groaning with relief. It had taken hours to get here, and she was sore and tired. She was desperately in need of a hot shower.

Rolling over she forced herself to her feet and walked into the bathroom, frowning when she saw the clawfoot tub. There was a shower head, but it looked far more appealing to just take a bath. Inspecting the bath toiletries, she found that they were jasmine scented.

Running the water she poured bath salts and bubbles in, sniffing appreciatively as the water flowed in. Stripping her clothes off, she stepped in and sighed in pleasure, letting her head fall back against the tub.

She relaxed until the water began to cool and then washed quickly, letting the water drain when she stepped out. Wrapping the plush robe around her, she walked out to the bedroom and unpacked her clothes, hanging them in the closet and tucking them in the drawers of the dresser.

Dressing in her favorite lace camisole and shorts, she crawled beneath the covers and pulled out her book, reading a few chapters before her eyes began to droop. Setting it on the bedside table, she flipped off the lights and rolled over, spreading out across the bed.

It was something that had taken her time to get used to; being single, not having a body in the bed next to her. But when the body in the bed next to her had gone from a loving husband to a cheating one, she no longer wanted someone next to her.

Still, her hand closed reflexively on the empty pillow and her heart ached. Rolling over to stare at the ceiling, she wondered when her life would feel normal again. It had been two years since her divorce and she still felt pained by it.

It had been hell, and she had come through stronger. Jaded, but stronger.

Now she was 32 and most men looked at her as though she was too old or too damaged to be considered worth their time.

Maybe she was.

Sighing in frustration she rolled over and screwed her eyes shut, trying to fall asleep. She didn't need these thoughts keeping her awake another night. Taking deep breaths, she focused on how she would approach Jeremy Danvers.

She had heard he was reclusive and standoffish. Given her penchant for sarcasm, she wasn't sure they would do well together. She would have to remind herself to bite her tongue, to not be a smartass.

Eventually she drifted off to sleep, clutching the spare pillow to her chest, her limbs spread across the bed.

* * *

The next morning Natalia rose at 8am and dressed casually in jeans, a sweater and her boots. She found the breakfast table empty, and when she sat down, a few minutes passed before the door opened and an older woman came out with a tray, laden with pancakes, eggs and bacon.

"I know it looks like a lot, but we have another guest here, so you eat as much as you like, don't worry about it dear" she said with a smile.

Natalia smiled, "Thank you very much." She filled her plate and dug in, appreciative of the good food and the great coffee. When she had finished she walked out to the foyer and smiled at the young woman, "Good morning. I didn't ask your name last night, I'm sorry. "

The woman smiled back brightly, "That's ok. I'm JoAnne, it's nice to meet you." She reached her hand out and Natalia shook it quickly, "Nice to meet you, I'm Natalia. I was wondering, are there any places of interest to visit?"

JoAnne grinned, "Not really. There are a few shops and some bars, and a beautiful park. There's a winery a few miles down the road and the Danvers place, but that's a good twenty minutes away."

Natalia nodded, "That's about what I thought. Okay, well I'll check it out. Thank you!" she tugged her jacket on and tucked her purse on her shoulder before walking outside to the Porsche Cayenne that had been her ex-husband's.

It was a beautiful car, but not one she would have chosen for herself under normal circumstances. When she had caught her ex screwing a string of women…she had decided to screw him and take his beloved car.

As she drove it down the street towards the small shops she had to appreciate the smooth drive. After parking she went into one of the stores and began perusing the racks, smiling at the sales woman.

"Can I help you find something ma'am?" she asked.

Natalia shook her head, "No, I'm just looking. I'm only in town for a short time, and I wanted to see what your beautiful town has to offer." She smiled at the woman and was rewarded when she smiled back, "Oh well thank you darling. What brings you to town?" she asked.

Natalia hesitated a moment and then spoke lightly, "I'm here to see Jeremy Danvers. I collect art for a gallery and I hear his work is amazing. Have you ever seen it?"

The other woman's face grew dark, "No. No one around here associates with the Danvers. They're odd folk." She fidgeted and then asked sharply, "You find anything you want to buy?"

Natalia sensed she had asked the wrong thing by inquiring about the Danvers, but she didn't know why. Shaking her head, she smiled at the woman, trying to reassure her, "No, but I do love some of these items. I'll have to come back. Thank you for letting me look."

The woman nodded and watched as she left. Natalia walked to another store, delighted when she found it to be a bookstore. She was confused however when she entered and the man behind the desk hung up the phone and turned to stare at her.

His brow furrowed and he pointed to the door, "Sorry ma'am I have to close early, I'll have to ask you to go." His tone wasn't pleasant, and Natalia felt uneasy.

She nodded and backed out; staring up the street to the store she had just been in. It too was closed. Could this really be from her asking about the Danvers?

Shaking her head, she walked back to her car and drove the short distance to the B&B. Walking back inside she frowned at JoAnne, "Why would people be so antsy about the Danvers?" she asked.

JoAnne stared at her and then shook her head, "There have been a number of murders here in the past year. Odd things. You asking about them…makes people nervous. Why do you want to know about the Danvers?"she asked curiously.

Natalia shook her head, "It doesn't matter. I'll go see them today. The faster I get this done, the faster I can get out of here." Sighing, she went up to her room to change.

If she wanted to meet with Jeremy Danvers, she wanted to make a good impression. She quickly slipped on a polka dotted long sleeved blouse, tucking it into a pencil skirt and zipped on her favorite black boots.

Piling her hair into a messy bun, she slipped pearl drops into her ears and a strand around her neck before slipping her coat on and shoving her portfolio into her purse.

She waved goodbye to JoAnne and walked out to the car, programming the address for… "StoneHaven?" she murmured softly, shaking her head. It sounded like an asylum.

As she pulled onto the road, she took a deep breath, hoping that this meeting would go well. She needed this commission to help get her life back in order, and to prove that she could get rare, talented artists that were reclusive to work with her.

That kind of pull would be an asset to her future. She might be able to start her own gallery someday.

The forest sped by as she contemplated her future and the meeting, and before she knew it, she had arrived at the large gates in front of StoneHaven.

To her surprise, the gates opened, allowing her to drive up the path slowly.

"Here we go" she murmured.


	2. Second Chances

Jeremy had been working on his painting when the sound of tires on the road had captured his attention, tearing his gaze away from the canvas. Peering out the window he saw the same car that had been broken down by the side of the road, now idling at the front gate.

Taking a deep breath, he inhaled the scent of the female driver, smelling jasmine, nervous energy, and annoyance. Wondering what could possibly have brought her to StoneHaven, he found himself opening the gates. - _She's probably just lost. I'll give her directions and send her on her way to wherever and that will be that.-_ he thought.

Wiping his hands off on a rag, he walked calmly down the stairs, listening to the woman's heartbeat increase slightly as she pulled forward, and her murmur of "Here we go", as though she was anticipating trouble. Frowning, he wondered why she was so nervous.

Nothing about what he could smell on her said she would be trouble for him. She was perfectly human, and obviously normal. He would never have opened the gates if she hadn't been. Hopefully she could be quickly gotten rid of.

He walked out the front door to watch her park her car,- _Cayenne, nice-_ he thought, and stood, hands in his pockets, waiting for her to exit and face him. As she leaned into the car to retrieve something, her skirt pulled tight across a full bottom and Jeremy felt a primal flush of lust flash through him.

He turned away for a moment, pushing that lust down deep locking it away, as he did with all attraction and emotion not useful to keeping his pack safe. When he turned back, the woman had turned and was walking towards him.

Jeremy felt another punch of attraction low in his gut as he stared at the mysterious woman. Her hair was dark with caramel colored highlights, little pieces hanging around her finely boned face, framing her wide eyes and plump lips.

Her dark eyes captured his and a ghost of a smile flashed across her full lips as she picked her way across the icy driveway. As she made her way up the steps her boot slipped on an icy patch and Jeremy watched as her eyes went wide, her arms pin wheeling, desperately trying not to fall, her momentum carrying her back-all in an instant.

A moment later he had stepped forward and snatched her around the waist, dragging her forward against him, steadying her. His hands were firmly on her waist, and her hips were snug against his, her face inches from his. Jeremy felt dual urges- to kiss her, and to shove her back and slam the door in her face.

Her eyes were wide, lips parted, her breath unsteady as she took a step back, patting his chest. She laughed, "My apologies, I should have looked a little closer at those stairs, are you ok?" she asked him.

Jeremy nodded, "Are you alright?" he asked politely, hoping she would leave soon. Her whole presence was a disruption to his day.

The woman nodded, "I'm fine. I'm sorry for that. I'm Natalia Romano, and I've been told that Jeremy Danvers lives here, is that correct?" she peered around at the house curiously, not seeing any other cars or signs of other occupants.

Jeremy sighed, "You've come to the right place Ms. Romano. I'm Jeremy Danvers. Why did you want to speak with me?" he asked, curious despite himself. No one from town would have sent her, so she couldn't be from Bear Valley. He thought he heard a New York accent, but also a trace of a foreign accent...Italian maybe?

Natalia's face lit with a smile and she extended her hand, "It's wonderful to meet you Mr. Danvers. I've been trying to reach you on the number I have for you all week, but I'm not sure it works. I'm an art collector for a gallery in New York City that is very interested in collecting and showing your work. I have a portfolio of my other artists that I've worked with that I'd be happy to show you, if you would like to sit down and discuss your work with me." She held up a midsized portfolio and smiled, waiting for him to invite her in.

Jeremy felt an irrational flash of anger. Who had given her his number? He had made it clear to the last dealer he had worked with that he wasn't interested in working with anyone else. Why would the man have given his number to her? Why did she have to show up here unannounced and try to work her way in the door? All he wanted was peace.

Stepping back he crossed his arms and gave her a cold stare, "I'm sorry; I don't think that's possible. I'm not interested in showcasing my work. I'm sorry you wasted your time coming out here. I work exclusively with another dealer." He watched as her smile faltered and then slipped into a frown.

Natalia sighed and tried to bit her tongue but couldn't hold back her anger. "Well, I wouldn't have wasted my time if you had answered your phone Mr. Danvers. I certainly don't like to impose, but the man I got your number from told me that you were open to working with other dealers. I've seen your work and I think we could get you more exposure than he is; that we could have a great partnership. If however you don't want to work together, I understand. I hope you change your mind and want to set up another meeting. Here's my card."

She pulled a business card out of her bag and tucked it into the pocket of his waistcoat, tapping it, "That number works, 24/7, and I actually answer it, so don't hesitate to call. See you around Danvers." She spun on her heel and walked back across the driveway to her car, slamming her door, fuming.

Natalia was angry; she hated having her time wasted, and it seemed like this whole trip had been a waste. She had been warned that Jeremy Danvers was a recluse, but not that he was rude. Slamming her hand on the steering wheel, she pulled away and shook her head, angry that she had driven all the way up here just to be rebuffed.

Speeding down the winding road back towards Bear Valley, she reached the B&B in record time, slamming the car into park, huffing as she climbed out. When she stormed in, JoAnne stared at her, eyes wide and asked, "Are you ok?", her voice tremulous.

Natalia shook her head violently, "No! That man is an ass!" Slapping her hand down on the counter she shook her head again, "No wonder people don't go out there! Ugh!" she groaned.

JoAnne grinned, "What happened?" she asked curiously.

Natalia launched into the story, waving her hands about as she explained, barely noticing JoAnne's grin. When she had calmed, she looked down and noticed the younger woman laughing and rolled her eyes, "What? What's so funny?" she demanded.

JoAnne shrugged, "Nothing, it's just that I've never met someone who's so full of energy, and so…spunky. I bet you shocked Mr. Danvers." JoAnne laughed.

Natalia laughed grudgingly, "I think I did." She looked down at JoAnne, "Wait, do you know him?" she asked, curious.

JoAnne shook her head, "Not really, I've seen him around a time or two. We've talked while he was getting groceries or gas, but that's it really. He's nice. Quiet, but nice. He likes Scotch, I know that."

Natalia perked up, "Reaaaally" she drawled out the word, a thought forming. JoAnne laughed, "There's a liquor store two blocks up from here. Buy the most expensive bottle."

Natalia nodded, "Gotcha. Thanks JoAnna." She slung her bag over her shoulder and walked out the door, determined. The liquor store was a short walk and once inside Natalia grabbed two bottles of the most expensive Scotch, one for Jeremy Danvers, and one for her.

After putting it on her business credit card, she went back to the B&B and changed back into her sweats and tank top, sitting before the fireplace with a glass of the Scotch. She wasn't about to let some surly back woods recluse artist destroy her day.

Halfway through her second glass and three chapters into her book, she heard her phone ringing. Pulling it out of her bag, she stared at the number, not recognizing it. After a moment she realized it was a Bear Valley area code, and was likely Jeremy Danvers.

Part of her considered ignoring it, the other part, told her to suck it up and talk to the man.

Sighing, she slid her thumb across the screen and answered it.

"Hello, this is Natalia" she murmured, her voice low and a little heavy from the Scotch.

It hit Jeremy like a fist to the gut. Taking a breath he spoke, "Ms. Romano, this is Jeremy Danvers. I-I wanted to apologize for earlier. I was rude, and I treated you poorly. Could we reschedule a meeting?" he asked politely.

Natalia made a soft humming noise as she thought, and then nodded, "Okay Mr. Danvers. When would work for you?"

Jeremy sighed with relief, "Why don't you come back here this evening, I'll make dinner. Consider it a real apology."

Natalia considered it for a moment, it was already 3pm. After a moment she nodded, "That sounds great. What time should I be by?" she asked.

"How does 6 sound?" Jeremy asked.

"Great, I'll see you then."

"Very good."

There was a moment of awkward silence and then Natalia hung up the phone, setting it down with a shake of her head. She had never met anyone quite so odd. Hopefully the Scotch would put him at ease. With a quiet laugh she sipped on hers and continued to read, whiling away the hours until dinner.

* * *

Jeremy wondered if he had done the right thing. His gut told him not to speak to Natalia anymore, to let her be angry with him, and to simply forget the entire encounter. The only problem was, he couldn't. After his spat with Natalia this morning he had been upset and unsettled all day. He hadn't been able to paint or focus on reading for any significant stretch of time.

He was unable to get her expressive face out of his mind, her sarcastic voice in his head, her flashing eyes haunting him. He wanted to forget her dammit.

Finally he had wandered back outside, allowing the Change to take over and had run until he had felt more settled. He hadn't felt this gut punch of attraction to a woman in a very long time. Even when he had, he had turned away, his allegiance to his pack taking precedence.

Now, this woman, this Natalia was taking an interest not in him, but in his work-something that was for him incredibly personal. As he showered, he had a flash back to the moment when her body had fit so snugly against his, her curvy waist full under his hands, her full chest pressed deliciously against his….

He groaned and quickly flipped the water to cold, shuddering as the icy water hit his skin. It did little to dispel thoughts of her soft lips, parted in shallow breaths, so close to his, her eyes wide, staring up at him…he could easily imagine those same wide eyes, staring up at him as she put her soft lips around his cock.

"Jesus…fuck!" he whispered. Flipping the now freezing water off he climbed out of the shower, accepting that he was just going to have a half hard on and went to get dressed, trying to think of anything else. _This is what you get for not having sex in nearly a year-_ he scoffed at himself.

Walking downstairs, he pulled the roast out of the oven to rest, it was nearly 6pm. He had done some digging online about Natalia, and everything he had seen indicated she ate meat. He had considered calling back and asking, but had instead decided to wing it. If he was wrong, he had plenty of vegetable sides for her to choose from.

He had left the front gate open this time, and a few minutes later he heard the familiar sound of her car pulling in front of the house. A moment later there was a knock at the door, and he could smell her; this time smelling like Chanel, Scotch and…raspberries?

Tilting his head, he wondered at that one. It didn't smell like lotion or shampoo…perhaps she had been eating them? When he opened the door, he was surprised to see her holding a bottle of his favorite Scotch and a box from the local bakery-hence the scent of raspberries.

She smiled faintly, holding them out, "I bring peace offerings."

Jeremy sighed and smiled, "That's incredibly kind of you. I'm the one who should be making peace offerings. Please, come in." He waved a hand and stepped aside, taking the Scotch and box, leading her to the kitchen table.

He quickly set them aside to reach for her jacket, tugging it off her shoulders gently to hang it on a chair. When he saw the long sleeved red wrap dress and knee high boots she was wearing, he gripped the back of the chair so hard he thought the wood would splinter.

Natalia gave him a strange look, so he thought he must be making an odd face. Trying more for a normal smile, he pulled her chair out, "Please sit, I'll serve dinner" he murmured.

As he turned away Natalia spoke, "You have a beautiful home. I've already seen some amazing art just in the entryway. I'm willing to bet the whole place is filled with gorgeous works."

Jeremy nodded, "I love to collect, as does my son. He's an anthropologist, so he collects rare works. It makes for an odd collection." He quickly filled both of their plates with roast and assorted vegetables before turning and setting it before her.

"I hope this is ok? If you don't like meat, please feel free to leave it, I won't be offended." He sat across from her and poured each of them a glass of water, leaving the Scotch for later.

Natalia shook her head with a smile, "No this is lovely, thank you. I can't believe you made all this." As she dug in she let out a soft groan, "Mmmm this is so good!"

Jeremy smiled, "I'm pleased you like it."

Natalia smiled, "I do. So you were saying you have a son? And he's an anthropologist? You don't look old enough to have a son with a career."

Jeremy nodded, "I adopted Clay when he was 8, his parents had both died. It was a blessing for both of us." He smiled warmly, the first that Natalia had seen, and it truly transformed his face she thought. He no longer looked so cold and closed off.

"Where is he now?" Natalia asked, curious.

"On a vacation with his fiancée Elena- a honeymoon of sorts. They've had a rough year." He kept his explanation short, not wanting to go into detail.

Natalia sensed there was more to the story, but didn't want to press, for fear of him shutting down again. Instead she moved to another topic, "How long have you lived at StoneHaven?" she asked.

Jeremy smiled, "It's a family property, it's passed down for generations. It's been in the family for at least 150 years."

Natalia raised a brow, "That's quite the family heritage for an American."

Jeremy grinned, "You're not American?" He was right, her accent wasn't purely New Yorker.

Natalia laughed, "Natalia Romano? Hardly. My parents are both from Italy, where the rest of my family is from. My grandparents moved to New York about ten years ago, but miss the old country. I spend a summer in Italy every year, finding artists and travelling."

Jeremy smiled, "That sounds lovely. I had a good friend who was from Italy, we would take trips together sometimes, and I remember how beautiful the countryside is."

Natalia saw the sadness in his smile and heard the past tense, but still asked, "Had?"

Jeremy sighed and smiled sadly, "Antonio. He was my best friend. He was killed last year. Along with two other members of our family." Natalia gasped softly and reached out, taking his hand.

"I'm so sorry. That's horrible. Please forgive my rudeness earlier in intruding. I can understand now why you might want to be left alone" she spoke softly, hoping she wasn't saying the wrong thing.

Jeremy squeezed her hand gently, "There's nothing to forgive. It's been a year, and I've had time to grieve. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. It's just that people came into our home and murdered three members of our family. It makes you wary of outsiders. I have to remember that outsiders aren't a bad thing. Especially not in this case." He smiled warmly at her, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles and Natalia felt a spark of heat run across her skin.

Jeremy watched as Natalia's pupils dilated, her lips parting slightly, and smelled her pheromones, soft and musky. With a sharp inhalation he released her hand, smiling tightly, "Would you like some of that dessert you brought and a glass of Scotch?"

Natalia nodded, sliding her hand back across the table to set it unsteadily in her lap, "Yes, thank you."

Jeremy quickly sliced the chocolate raspberry torte and poured two glasses, setting them down on the table. Lifting his glass he raised it for a toast, "To second chances" he quipped, smiling faintly.

Natalia smiled back and murmured, "To second chances" before sipping on hers. They chatted about Italy and her travels while eating the dessert until finally Jeremy stood and offered to show her some of his works.

As they walked upstairs to his workroom, Natalia watched his tall form precede her, and felt a small thrill run through her at the sight of his strong shoulders flexing beneath his shirt. _What is wrong with me? I barely like this man!_ She thought to herself.

When Jeremy pushed the door to his studio open, all other thought escaped her. The painting that he had been working on was on display, and she was instantly drawn to it. The swirling hues of blue and black with spots of light reminded her of _Starry Night_ , but this was so much more angry….

Turning, she examined the other works and felt something she hadn't felt since she was young, and had first seen paintings by Van Gogh and Monet-awestruck.

When she turned to Jeremy she found him watching her with a hungry expression that quickly dissipated into mild nonchalance.

Pointing around the room, Natalia spoke softly, "You have to let me show these in our gallery. Please let me take photos and send them back to the gallery, and they'll jump at the opportunity to do a showing."

She sighed and looked around again, shaking her head, "Jeremy, this isn't about the money for me. Your work deserves to be shown. You….you have an incredible talent. I've never worked with an artist of your caliber. You'll end up in a museum someday. Please, please let us show your work." She knew she was begging, but she didn't care.

Jeremy stared at Natalia, dumbfounded. The last dealer he had worked with had sold one or two of his paintings, and had told him how good his work was, but hadn't been this effusive. Slowly he nodded, "Can I have a day or two to think about it?" he asked softly.

Natalia nodded, "Please do. I don't want to rush you, but I would like to take some photos for the gallery if that's ok?" she asked.

Jeremy hesitated, he normally didn't share his work. Finally he nodded, "Just one or two."

Natalia nodded, "Would you like to pick them?" she offered. She would rather have him be comfortable with the choices and like them less than choose them herself and have Jeremy feel like she was intruding. Things were finally going well, and she didn't want to mess them up.

He nodded and stared around before pointing to one and then another. Natalia nodded and quickly framed up the shots, taking a few photos of each with her phone before sending them to her boss.

When she was done she walked over and stared at the half completed canvas again, still struck by it. Jeremy came and stood by her, wondering what she thought of it. "I love this one Jeremy…If you don't want to have a showing in our gallery, would you consider selling it to me?" she asked softly.

He looked down at her and saw how intently she was staring at the picture and then nodded, "When it's finished, either way, it's yours."

To his surprise, her small hand wrapped around his wrist and squeezed, "Thank you. For this, and for considering my proposal."

Jeremy nodded and then took a step back, feeling too close. "Would you like to see the rest of the house? There are some beautiful works of art."

Natalia nodded and followed him around the house as he pointed out paintings and small sculptures from different cultures. Eventually they ended up in the study, sitting on the large couch in front of the roaring fire, talking art. Jeremy was impressed by her knowledge, and her quick wit. He found himself laughing and smiling, enjoying her company in a way he normally didn't enjoy outsider company.

Natalia hardly noticed that hours had passed until she yawned so hard it felt like it would split her jaw. Looking to the clock, she was shocked to see it was past midnight. Peering out the window she saw that snow was falling, and there was heavy cloud cover.

Sighing, she stood and stretched, catlike. Jeremy looked away, but the image was seared in his brain. "Well, I should go. This snow isn't going to slow, and these roads are windy. Thank you for your hospitality Jeremy."

Jeremy nodded, and stood as well "Wait here, I'll get your coat." Natalia had no time to protest, he was already out of the room. Instead she walked to the window and peered out, watching the snow fall, shivering slightly at the chill surrounding the glass.

A hand touched her shoulder and she jumped, whirling around, sighing when she saw it was Jeremy. He smiled, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I have your jacket." He held it out for her to slide into, inhaling the scent of her perfume, and the even more delicate scent of her skin.

When she turned he had taken two steps back and was ready to escort her to the door. When they reached the door, a familiar scent and the sound of tires on pavement reached him. Jeremy opened the door and held out his arm, "Can I walk you to your car? I wouldn't want you to fall in the snow."

He wanted to be outside to meet the other car...he suspected this was very important.

Natalia gave him a look of surprise and then nodded, smiling. By the time they reached her car the sound of the other car pulling into StoneHaven could be heard by both of them, plainly. Natalia looked down the drive as the headlights appeared, confused.

"Who is that this late at night?" she asked.

Jeremy shrugged, "It's possibly my son and daughter in law coming back from their trip. If not, I'll send whoever it is on their way-they most likely need directions. Don't worry. Just get back to town safely" he told her casually. He wanted her away from StoneHaven as quickly as possible now.

He smiled at her and shut her car door, waving at her before she rolled the window down partially.

"Thank you very much for dinner Jeremy, and for showing me your art. I hope to her good news from you soon." She smiled, "Good night."

Jeremy waved, "Good night Natalia." He watched as she pulled away and when her taillights were fading away, turned to the other car that was now idling behind him. Taking a deep breath, he murmured, "Karl Marsten, after midnight, you can only be bringing me bad news…what is it?"

The car shut off and the man inside stepped out, lifting his collar higher against the cold, walking over to Jeremy, revealing himself to indeed be Karl Marsten. "Jeremy, hello. Terrible weather, eh?"

Jeremy gave him a look and Marsten nodded, "Right, straight to it then. The Mutts that were causing problems before? They found out about the Undoing, and why they were affected….they want the Pack's heads, and that girl Savannah. They're coming for you. You need to call the Pack home."

Jeremy sighed and stared up at the wintry sky; would this violence never end? "Have you been able to sway any of the Mutts towards Pack life?" Jeremy asked softly.

Marsten shook his head, "No, I'm a traitor to them. I barely got this information without losing my life."

Jeremy nodded, "Thank you for bringing it to me. You're welcome to stay here, within the safety of StoneHaven."

Marsten laughed, "If you say so mate." He shook his head and climbed back into the car. "I'll be close by, if you need me, you have my number."

Jeremy nodded, "Thank you." He watched as Marsten drove off, leaving him standing in the snow, wondering when the next attack would be, and if any more of his family would die.


	3. Sway

The next morning Natalia rose late, choosing instead to remain in bed under the covers with her book until her stomach prodded her to get up. Tying her sweater loosely around her waist she slid her moccasins on before padding downstairs to the dining room.

To her surprise JoAnne was at the breakfast table as well, looking sleepy. The younger woman waved and yawned. "Oh jeez sorry, good morning" she murmured.

Natalia smiled, "Good morning. I didn't realize you lived here."

JoAnne nodded, "My grandmother and me run this place together." As if on cue the kitchen door swung open and the older woman walked out with a tray full of food, smiling at them both.

"Here you are girls, make sure you eat up before you go outside, it's bitter cold out, and there's half a foot of snow on the ground" the older woman gently chided them.

Natalia choked on her coffee, "How much snow?"

JoAnne laughed, "And we're supposed to get 4 more inches today." She giggled at the look on Natalia's face and dug into her food, "You want to go sledding? There are some big hills around here. It's not just for kids you know."

Natalia grinned, she hadn't been sledding since she was a kid, but it sounded like fun. "I don't have any clothes to wear in the snow…"

JoAnne smiled, "We have some, don't you worry."

They ate quickly and when they were done Natalia followed JoAnne up to the attic to pick out snow gear, quickly changing in her room before following her downstairs. If someone had told her three days ago that she would be sledding with the locals of Bear Valley, she would have laughed hysterically.

Now, she grinned and ran after JoAnne, panting in the cold air as small snowflakes fell around them. When they reached the top of the hill they threw themselves down it with reckless abandon, screaming with delight.

Thirty minutes later they lay in the snow, panting and exhausted, making snow angels. Natalia looked over at JoAnne, "Thank you for inviting me to do this. I haven't had fun like this in ages."

JoAnne nodded, "I guess living in New York City you don't get a lot of opportunities to do this huh?" she asked.

Natalia shook her head, "No, plus my life has been somewhat shitty for the past few years. I found out my husband was cheating on me…and we got divorced."

JoAnne hissed, "What a dick! How long were you married?" she asked.

Natalia sighed, "8 years. We met in college, and got married at 21. It was a young love, and I should have known better. He was cheating on me for nearly two years before I found out. I'm lucky I didn't get any STD's. But, I took his precious Porche. It's taken me a long time to get used to the idea of being single again, and I'm still not sure I'm used to it all the time."

JoAnne grinned, "We should go out to the bar tonight. Let the men of the town see you! Ooo it would be so fun!" she giggled with glee and Natalia found herself grinning, despite the initial hesitance she had felt when the younger woman had proposed the idea.

"Okay, but I'm not kissing anyone or hooking up, got it?" Natalia demanded.

JoAnne sighed, "Ugh spoil sport! You need a good fling to get your groove back!"

Natalia laughed, "This isn't some movie! That isn't how life works."

JoAnne grinned, "Hey it worked for that Stella chick, it could work for you…especially if the guy looks like Taye Diggs."

Natalia grinned and shook her head, "You're incorrigible." – _Maybe if he looked like Jeremy Danvers-_ a little part of her brain whispered at her. She quickly hushed it and stood, brushing snow off herself, "Shall we go in and have a hot cocoa with Baileys?" she asked JoAnne with a devious smile.

"I like the way you think girl!" JoAnne said with a grin, popping up off the ground. They trudged slowly back to the B&B, discussing what they would wear out that evening.

When they were comfortably ensconced in the quiet living room with cups of hot cocoa liberally dosed with Baileys to chase away the chill, JoAnne peered over her mug at Natalia and asked, "So, what exactly are you trying to achieve with Jeremy Danvers?"

Natalia paused and then sipped on her cocoa before responding. "What do you mean? I told you I'm here to try and get him to do a showing with the gallery I work at." Raising a brow at JoAnne she smirked, "What else would I be doing?" she asked.

JoAnne grinned, "I dunno, but plenty of women have had their hearts broken trying to capture the attention of the reclusive Jeremy Danvers. I just didn't want you to fall into the same trap."

"There's no need to worry about that, we barely like each other." Natalia thought back to the way Jeremy had stroked her hand and the heat she had seen in his eyes and thought maybe she was lying, just a little…but JoAnne didn't need to know that.

JoAnne stared at her for a minute and then sighed, "I'm just jealous you got to go into StoneHaven, I hear it's gorgeous inside."

Natalia nodded, "It's definitely beautiful. But odd. Somewhat like it's resident." She smiled crookedly, sipping on her cocoa and peered out the window, seeing if it was still snowing.

"Is it safe to go out tonight with the snow?" Natalia asked hesitantly.

JoAnne nodded, "Everyone around here just walks to the bars. Fewer DUI's that way. We'll do the same. It's just five minutes to the closest one."

Natalia nodded and sighed, "Will there be many eligible men there?" She doubted it, in a town this size.

JoAnne laughed, "There will be at least a few to buy you a drink. Don't worry; we'll have a good time."

Natalia sighed and grinned, "You're going to make sure of that, I'm sure."

When they had finished their cocoa Natalia went upstairs to change into sweatpants and a t-shirt before lying down with her book, wondering what Jeremy was doing…if he was considering her proposal.

Part of her wanted to call him and see, but she didn't want to be pushy. After reading a chapter in her book she rolled over with a huff and stared at her phone, still wanting to call him.

"Oh fuck it" she murmured. Grabbing her phone she dialed the number that she had saved from when he had called her, and waited while it rang. By the fourth ring she was biting her lip nervously and considering hanging up.

On the sixth ring, his smooth, low voice answered. "This is Jeremy, how can I help you?"

Natalia hesitated a breath and then smiled, "Jeremy, this is Natalia. I hope I'm not bothering you."

Jeremy had known who it was while the phone was ringing and had been hesitant to pick it up. He had been staring at the paintings Natalia had taken pictures of to send to her gallery all day, trying to decide if he would allow them to hold a showing of his work...and hadn't reached a decision yet.

Ultimately his desire to hear her voice had driven him to answer. Now he was glad he had. "No, not really, I was just standing here staring at your painting, trying to work on it. Seems I'm lacking inspiration lately" he joked. _You've been lacking inspiration for awhile-_ he thought.

Natalia smiled, "That's terrible! I'll never get that painting from you that way! How can I help?" she asked.

Jeremy found himself smiling, "If I knew, I would tell you." If he knew, the painting would have been done weeks ago.

Natalia had an idea suddenly and grinned, "I have an idea. JoAnne and I are going out to the bar tonight to let our hair down and relax a little. Why don't you join us, get out of that big empty house?" she asked.

Jeremy hesitated, biting back an automatic "no". He wanted to see her again, despite knowing it wasn't a good idea. But the idea of interacting with the townspeople….it wasn't his favorite idea. Torn, he waffled for a few moments until Natalia spoke, hesitantly, "Jeremy? You still there?"she asked.

He sighed, "I don't normally come into town. People there aren't fond of us. They...just don't like us."

Natalia sighed, "I've noticed. They haven't been the most polite when I asked about your family. Maybe if you came out with JoAnne and I it wouldn't be so bad?" she said, her tone hopeful.

Jeremy closed his eyes, desperate to say no. Yet he had been wandering around an empty and lonely house for a week. He was slowly going stir crazy, and going into town and interacting with the locals didn't sound like such a terrible idea like it normally did. Maybe if he kept it short it wouldn't be too bad...sighing, he nodded, "That sounds like it could be okay. When should I meet you?" he asked.

Natalia grinned, "10pm, at the Black Rooster."

Jeremy nodded, "Okay, I'll see you ladies there."

After they hung up Jeremy stared at the canvas and felt his emotions swirling; panic, elation, hope, need….picking up his brush he began to paint.

He had found the inspiration he was looking for….The thought of Natalia spurred him on, but left him worried, he wasn't allowed to be with a human, or do anything that would endanger the Pack, and she most definitely would.

His distraction with her was dangerous; for her, for him, and for the Pack….but he told himself that the faster he acquiesced to her requests and got her out of town, the sooner the danger would leave.

He just had to make sure that the danger looming from his own world didn't interfere with hers. Killing Natalia for learning his secret was an idea worse than watching her die because of the danger in his life.

She was an innocent, and he had never let someone who was innocent be hurt if at all possible before. He wasn't going to start now. He would stand between her and the darkness. He would protect her.

* * *

Natalia and JoAnne were in JoAnne's bedroom; Natalia rifling through her closet while JoAnne sat on her bed, shaking her head, grinning. "Girl, I told you- I don't have any going out clothes like you have. It's mostly jeans and t-shirts around here."

Natalia shook her head, "Nope. We can come up with something good…I can feel it." She sang along to the music on her iPhone and then spied a red flash of fabric near the back. Grabbing it she yanked it out and held it up, "Perfect!" she cried, holding it out for JoAnne.

JoAnne laughed, "I haven't worn that in years! It's probably too short!"

Natalia grinned, "That's what tights are for! Do you have any fishnets?" she asked before tossing the skirt at JoAnne and diving back into the closet.

JoAnne grinned and went to her dresser, digging in the drawer for a moment before coming up with a black pair. "I do indeed. What will I be wearing on top? Or will I just be going topless?" she joked.

Natalia laughed, "It's too cold for that! No…how about this?" she grabbed a rose gold colored long sleeved top with a scoop neck and held it out to JoAnne.

JoAnne sighed, "My grandma bought this for me and I've never really worn it, I didn't think it looked good with my red hair. You do?" she asked.

Natalia nodded, "You're going to be a knockout. Trust me."

JoAnne sighed and shrugged before stripping and pulling on the tights and the rest of the outfit. Turning to Natalia she waved a hand, "Looks good?" she asked.

Natalia grinned, "You are so going to get hit on like crazy tonight." JoAnne laughed and shook her head, "Well, can you help a girl out and do my hair and makeup too?"

Natalia nodded happily and knelt in front of her at her vanity, taking her time, highlighting her high cheekbones and bright blue eyes. When she was done she had piled JoAnne's spiraling red hair up in a twist and left multiple pieces down to frame her face.

Grabbing a pair of dangling gold earrings and a long gold necklace she handed them to JoAnne and backed away, "Okay, put those on and take a look" Natalia instructed.

JoAnne turned and looked in the mirror and gasped, "I look like a model!" she whispered.

Natalia grinned, "You look prettier than that. Now I'm going to get dressed and we can go, huh?"

JoAnne grinned and followed her to her room, lounging on her bed while Natalia went through her clothes to pick out an outfit. She eventually settled on faux leather pants, a sapphire blue top that hugged her curves and draped softly in the front and revealed a generous amount of cleavage and a pair of her favorite black ankle boots.

She quickly untied her braid and ran her fingers through her hair, fluffing it out into loose waves. Swiping some mascara and cat eye-liner on, Natalia applied a light sparkling shadow to her eye and a rose colored lipstick before turning to JoAnne and grinning, "Ready?"

JoAnne sighed, "You look amazing! How does it take so little effort? Oh right, because you're so f-ing gorgeous!" she shook her head; "How that ex of yours ever thought cheating on you was a good idea…I'll never understand."

Natalia grinned, "See, I could have used you around two years ago. Come on, let's get going." She tugged her coat on and the two women hurried out the front door and down the street to the bar.

Within minutes they were garnering attention from the townspeople, and Natalia found herself talking to more people than she had in the past two days. When the music started she was quickly invited out on the dance floor by numerous men.

The old Natalia would have said no, but tonight, she said yes, and laughed, grinning up at these large somewhat clumsy men who were somewhat drunk, but still able to have a good time. By the fifth different dance partner and her fourth drink Natalia was feeling a bit tipsy, and when the song ended she politely let him know she would be going to join her friend at the bar.

Sinking down onto the barstool next to JoAnne, she grinned at the younger woman, "Wow! You weren't kidding about these guys! Are you having fun too?" she asked.

JoAnne nodded, smiling, "I just sat down too. I'm waiting on a glass of water, you need one?" she asked. Natalia nodded and JoAnne flagged down the bartender, letting him know they needed another. When both women had their waters they sat chatting and cooling down until JoAnne's head perked up and she stared into the dark entryway for a moment.

Natalia hardly noticed, she was staring at her phone, an email had come in from her boss regarding the potential showing of Jeremy's work-he wanted an update. Sighing she tucked her phone away and then looked up at JoAnne, startling at the look on her face.

"What? Why are you grinning like that?" she asked hesitantly. Experience told her that this look meant mischief.

JoAnne leaned in to speak closer to her ear, "Jeremy Danvers just walked in. He never comes to town, let alone the bar. He's been standing there for a few minutes just watching you."

Natalia started to turn but was stopped by a hand on her arm; JoAnne shook her head, "No don't! Go talk to Nathaniel Hayes, he's across the bar, and he's been checking you out too!"

Natalia sighed, exasperated, "Why? Why can't I just go talk to Jeremy?" she asked.

JoAnne laughed, "Because! You need to show him that you're busy, give him reason to come and get your attention." Natalia sighed and rolled her eyes before sliding off her stool and straightening her shirt.

"Okay, wish me luck" she murmured before turning and walking over to the tall, dark-haired attractive man sitting on the stool adjacent to where she and JoAnne were. Leaning on the bar by him she smiled warmly, her eyes lighting when he returned her smile.

"Hi, I'm Natalia, can I get you a refill on that beer?" she asked, pointing to his nearly empty glass.

"Hi Natalia, that's very kind of you, but how about we go dance first?" Nathaniel offered, standing up to his full height of 6'2''. Natalia gaped at him for a moment before grinning and taking the hand he offered, letting him tow her out on the floor.

* * *

Jeremy stood in the dark entryway, watching as Natalia was led out onto the dance floor by one of the local doctors, Nathaniel Hayes. Jealousy ripped at him, ugly and dark. It was ridiculous. He shouldn't even be here. He should definitely go.

Just as he was considering leaving, the frantic waving by JoAnne caught his attention, and the attention of half the bar. The locals turned and saw him, and immediately the whispers started. Cursing, he sighed and waved back, walking over to talk to JoAnne.

"Jeremy! Hi! What are you doing here?" JoAnne exclaimed.

He smiled tightly, "Natalia invited me. We're negotiating an art deal and I believe this is her attempt to throw me off my game and get me to say yes to having an art show in New York."

JoAnne laughed, "Is it working?" she asked.

Jeremy looked around the bar at the people glancing over and whispering and then smiled down at her, "Yes. I'd rather be anywhere else."

JoAnne glanced around and rolled her eyes, "Stupid biddies. I hope you know not everyone believes those stupid stories about your family. You should come into town more." She smiled up at him, warm and inviting.

Jeremy was touched. JoAnne had always been kind and inviting; one of the few people in town that was. "Thank you, that's very kind of you" he murmured. Looking out on the dance floor, he saw Natalia and Nathaniel pausing, and he wondered if she would dance with him if he asked. The very idea was preposterous...but so appealing.

JoAnne nudged his arm, "Go ask her to dance!" she said with a grin.

Jeremy hesitated, "She looks occupied."

JoAnne shook her head, "Trust me. Go ask."

After a moment, Jeremy nodded and walked over, wondering the whole time what the hell had possessed him to come out to the bar in the first place. Sheer madness most likely. That and a desire for companionship. Without his Pack, he felt alone. _Pathetic! You can't even go a week without them around and you start chasing human tail-_ he chastised himself.

As he approached Natalia and Nathaniel, he saw Nathaniel's gaze meet his and go cold. His jaw tightened and his chin came up in challenge- _Come on pup, I'm Alpha. Try me._ He thought defiantly. The other man sensed it and took a step back, leaving him a clearer path to Natalia.

* * *

They danced for a few songs, and Natalia was pleased to find he was an excellent dancer. It had been years since she had danced with anyone of worth, namely her ex husband. When things had gotten bad, they had stopped dancing, and when they had gone through the divorce, she had stopped going out.

As they twirled around the floor Nathaniel asked, "So why are you here in Bear Valley?"

Natalia hesitated and then smiled, "I'm working for an art gallery and I'm hoping to work with a local artist to show their work in New York City."

"Hmm, I didn't realize there were any artists good enough to capture the attention of New York City" Nathaniel joked.

Natalia grinned, "He's somewhat reclusive."

As the song ended, Natalia saw JoAnne talking to Jeremy, and suddenly Nathaniel twirled her and dipped. Natalia laughed and clung to him, enjoying the feeling of his strong arms around her. As he lifted her back up she squeezed his arms, "That was wonderful, thank you. I forgot to ask, what do you do here in Bear Valley?"

Nathaniel smiled politely, "I'm a doctor. I've been practicing for 8 years."

Natalia smiled, "I bet people love coming to you; you have a great bedside manner."

Before Nathaniel could answer there was a polite cough from behind Natalia and when she turned, Jeremy Danvers stood there. Beside her, she could feel Nathaniel stiffen as he stepped closer to her. "Is there something we can do for you Danvers?" he asked tightly.

Jeremy smiled politely, coldly, "I was hoping for a dance with Miss Romano." He turned and smiled somewhat more warmly at Natalia, and extended his hand, waiting.

Natalia could feel the patrons of the bar staring at them, could feel their judgment and in that moment, hated all of them for how they treated Jeremy.

Turning to Nathaniel, she smiled, "I hope that as a doctor you understand compassion, and spread that feeling among the townspeople. I've only met with hostility in our encounters, and the attitude toward Jeremy and his family is appalling. Thank you so much for our lovely dance; I had such a great time."

Natalia turned back to Jeremy with a soft smile, "You ready?" she asked. He had a puzzled look on his face which cleared after a moment, lightening into a smile. He stepped away from her for a moment, walking over to the DJ booth to speak with the man.

Natalia watched as Jeremy spoke urgently with the man and then seemed to slip him money. A moment later as he crossed the floor towards her, Michael Buble's "Sway" began to play. Jeremy smiled and grabbed her hand, "Are you ready?" he asked.

Natalia nodded and quickly followed his lead, grinning as they twirled around the floor. When Jeremy dipped her and then brought her back up, twirling her out and drawing her back against his chest, Natalia's heart beat faster.

"You're an excellent dancer Natalia. Where did you learn?" Jeremy murmured. He could smell her perfume, heady and sweet, and the underlying scent of her skin-all of which made for a tantalizing combination that left him wanting to taste her. _One dance, and then it's time to go-_ he told himself.

Natalia smiled as they danced, "In college. They had dancing classes available as your gym credit, so I took it for two years. That's actually how I met my ex husband. Then he started cheating on me, and we stopped dancing." She sighed softly and then glanced up at him, "Sorry, that wasn't the happiest story."

Jeremy smiled softly down at her, "We all have stories that aren't the happiest. It's nothing to apologize for."

As the song came to a close, Jeremy twirled her wide before drawing her back against his chest, dipping her low, and then slowly drawing her up; one hand gripping her thigh and dragging it up against his hip, the other snaking up her back to hold her intimately against his chest.

Natalia breathed heavily, her whole body on fire from where they touched. Their eyes were locked, and Natalia could feel the energy sparking between them. After a moment Jeremy released her like a hot iron, and stepped back, "Thank you for the dance" he murmured.

She nodded and walked unsteadily beside him towards the bar, sitting gratefully on the barstool. Flagging down the bartender she ordered a dirty martini and took a large gulp when it arrived. Jeremy sipped on his whisky and tried to ignore the murmurings of the locals that invaded his ears.

"What's he doing in town?"

"Dancing with that art woman"

"…New York City"

"Indecent!"

It was definitely time to go.

Natalia took a steadying breath and then turned to Jeremy, "So have you given my proposal any thought?" she asked.

Jeremy nodded, "I have. I'd love to give you some pieces to show in New York, why don't we pick some out together?" he suggested.

Natalia stared at him in shock. She had been so sure he was going to say no that she hadn't been prepared for him to agree. Leaning in, she pressed a kiss to both his cheeks, "That's wonderful, thank you."

Jeremy stilled, the desire to kiss her nearly overwhelming. When Natalia pulled away she heard the slight intake of breath from Jeremy, and felt his hand tighten on her knee. A moment later his barstool backed away from hers and he stood, his gaze avoiding hers.

"Thank you for the dance Natalia. I'll see you tomorrow to choose the paintings. I had a lovely time tonight." He backed away slowly and then turned and left, leaving Natalia staring after him, her jaw slack.

"Did he just leave you?!" JoAnne exclaimed from behind Natalia. Natalia nodded slowly, still unwilling to believe it.

A moment later Nathaniel was at her side, "It appears Mr. Danvers has made a poor choice in leaving. Can I buy you another drink?" he asked.

Natalia nodded and after a moment they sat, drinking and chatting. Over his broad shoulder she saw JoAnne flirting with a tall blonde man and smiled, happy that her new friend was having fun.

When Natalia felt like her head was beginning to spin, she smiled politely at Nathaniel and stood, a bit unsteady, "I'm sorry Nathaniel, but I think it's time for me to go home. I'm a little tired, and a little tipsy."

JoAnne stood and came over, "I was going to stay a little longer….is that ok?" she asked hesitantly.

Natalia nodded, hugging her gently, "Of course. It's a short walk. I'll see you tomorrow morning." Nathaniel took her elbow and walked to the door with her, "I'll walk with you, make sure you're safe."

Natalia shrugged her coat on, "Thank you, that's very kind." As they walked outside Nathaniel threw an arm casually around her waist and tugged her gently against him. Natalia was surprised by his boldness, he had been very polite all evening, but didn't say anything, frankly she was a little unsteady on her feet, and the extra arm around her waist proved steadying.

As they walked down the street Nathaniel leaned down and whispered, "You're so gorgeous; I can't believe that Danvers guy left you alone. I'd never be so stupid."

Natalia made a half laugh noise, "Well he's certainly not my boyfriend, but it's his choice and anyone else's to leave when they want, regardless of whom they're with."

Nathaniel had no answer for that, but a few steps later as they were coming upon an alley he tugged on her waist and drug her against a wall, pushing her back against the icy bricks. His other hand wound through her hair and tugged at her head, pulling her up to meet his mouth, kissing her drunkenly.

Natalia grimaced and pushed against him, trying to break the kiss, but his large form was immovable. Nathaniel seemed to take her protestations as encouragement and kissed her more fervently, his hands wandering over her coat to unbutton it and reach inside, fondling her breasts.

At this Natalia tore her head away, shoving as hard as she could until Nathaniel stumbled back. She glared at him, "Don't do that. Leave me alone. I'll walk from here."

Nathaniel stared at her before shaking his head, "You're all the same" he muttered before advancing, grabbing her arms hard, pushing her so hard back that her head snapped against the brick with an audible crack.

Natalia groaned and darkness descended across her vision for long moments….she could hear Nathaniel, "Stupid bitch" he muttered.

A moment later she felt his hands at her pants, tugging on them. Her eyes fluttered open and she raised her hand to try and push at his chest, but was shoved away by Nathaniel.

A growl pierced the night, rumbling through the alley.

Nathaniel froze in pulling his own fly down and turned, paling at the sight of the wolf at the entrance to the alley. When it stepped forward and growled louder he backed away from Natalia, quickly buckling his belt.

The wolf circled him, forcing him out of the alley, and watched as he ran down the street, back to the bar. Jeremy trotted over and sniffed at Natalia's foot where she had collapsed on the ground. Her eyes were half closed, and there was a line of blood trailing out from under her hair.

Whining, he trotted out of the alley and back to his car, Changing back. He dressed quickly and ran back to the alley where he pressed a hand to Natalia's cheek, whispering softly, "Natalia, can you hear me?"

When she didn't respond he grew more worried and lifted her in his arms, carrying her to his car. After he had laid her in the back seat and climbed into the front he hesitated a moment, should he take her back to the B&B?

They would have too many questions…the story of the wolf would spread, they would want to know what had happened to her, and Natalia wasn't conscious to back up any story he came up with.

Sighing, he pulled onto the street and drove through the starry night towards StoneHaven, frequently checking over his shoulder to see if she was still breathing. He didn't think she had hit her head that hard, but with a few drinks in her system, it could be devastating.

When they arrived at StoneHaven he carried her gently inside to the kitchen where he laid her softly down on the table, inspecting her head wound. It didn't appear to need stitches, just cleaning. Once he had done so, he removed her coat and shoes before carrying her upstairs to the guest bedroom, laying her gently on the bed.

Sinking down into the chair beside the bed, he sighed deeply and ran a hand over his face, weary. When he had left the bar, he had every intention of going straight home. But when he had sat in his car, he found he couldn't move. He had considered going back into the bar to dance with Natalia again, to see her smile, but he knew he couldn't.

Instead he had driven around, and then come back to the bar, sitting down the block in the dark, waiting to see that Natalia came out and made it home safely.

Awhile later, when Nathaniel and Natalia left together, and he heard Nathaniel assaulting her in the alley, rage overtook him, forcing him into the Change. He had wanted to tear into Nathaniel, but instead had chosen to face him down until he ran.

Now, he was worried that the town would begin the wolf hunts again. He had protected Natalia, but put himself and potentially his family in danger. Jeremy shook his head, frustrated.

As the long hours passed, his exhaustion and worry wore him down until he finally fell asleep, his large hand gently cupping Natalia's smaller one.


	4. Recovery

The next morning dawned grey and cloudy, snow falling quietly. When Natalia's hand twitched in Jeremy's he woke instantly, watching and waiting for her to wake fully.

In the light of day he could see the dark marks under her eyes, a scrape across her cheek from the bricks and a bruise on her neck from Nathaniel's hand. He suspected that she had more under her clothes, but he hadn't tried to get her out of them into something more comfortable- and so hadn't seen them.

Natalia's eyes fluttered and her other hand floated up to her chest, resting there lightly. Her skull felt like it weighed a thousand pounds…there was a light ringing noise and she had a taste of copper in her mouth….

Running her tongue over her teeth, she took a deep breath and tried opening her eyes again, let out a low groan as the soft light pierced her skull. Jeremy immediately stood and pulled the curtains shut, coming back to her side instantly.

"Natalia, it's me. It's Jeremy. Can you open your eyes?" he murmured quietly, holding her hand gently. He watched; his stomach in knots, as her lids fluttered open and her dark eyes finally focused on his face.

"H-hey Jer-Jeremy" she whispered, her voice rough and broken. Jeremy felt his stomach wrench and his anger at Nathaniel grow. He wanted to rip the man apart now more than ever. Instead he smiled softly at Natalia and squeezed her hand gently.

Rubbing the back of her hand gently he marveled at how small her bones were in his hand, how light she had felt in his arms last night. He often forgot just how fragile humans were.

"How are you feeling?" he murmured.

Natalia sighed, her eyes falling closed for a moment before opening partially. "Like shit" she whispered. Jeremy winced and nodded.

"Why don't you relax here, and I'll run you a bath? Hmm?" he asked softly.

Natalia nodded and then groaned, it felt like hitting her head against the brick wall again. Jeremy touched her cheek softly, "Shh, don't. Just stay here, I'll be back." He squeezed her hand softly and then went to the bathroom to run the tub full of hot water, soothing bath salts, and essential oils.

Testing the water with his hand he winced and turned the cold water on for a few moments until the water cooled enough to be soothing, not sweltering. Turning the water off, he went back to the bedroom and found Natalia with her hand over her eyes, breathing softly.

"Natalia, are you awake?" he asked softly. When she raised her hand and cracked an eye he sighed and leaned over her, lifting her hands onto his shoulders and swinging her legs over the side of the bed gently.

"Okay, I'm going to help you stand, let me know if you're too dizzy and I'll carry you, okay?" he asked softly. Natalia nodded ever so slightly and on the count of three, Jeremy lifted her. Natalia groaned and swayed against him, her head coming to rest against his chest.

"Woah" Jeremy murmured, his arm wrapping around her waist, holding her steady. "Do you think you can walk?" he asked softly.

"Mmmm, I don't think so…I'm sorry" Natalia whispered.

"That's okay, just wrap your arms around my neck, there you go" he murmured as she did. He wrapped his arm around her back and under her knees, lifting her easily and carrying her into the bathroom. Setting her down on the toilet he knelt in front of her, "Can you undress, or do you need some help?" he asked softly.

The blush that crossed her cheeks stood out brightly against her pale face, "I don't think I can…I'm so sorry…." Her voice wobbled and tears spilled out of her eyes. Natalia turned her face away, wiping her eyes.

Jeremy reached up and touched her cheek, "Natalia, there's nothing to apologize for. Nathaniel hurt you, and I'm here to help. You're in pain, so please let me help, and don't worry about it. Okay?" he whispered his heart hurting for her.

Natalia nodded gently, "Okay" she whispered.

Jeremy tapped her arm, "Lift your arms for me" he murmured. When she did, letting out a small groan of pain, he lifted her shirt above her head and then set it aside. "Okay, hands on my shoulders again" he said softly.

He gently lifted her to her feet and looked down at her pants, searching for a way to get the tight fake leather off. After a moment he noticed a zipper on the side and pulled it down, then tugged the pants down, kneeling to help her step out, her hand steady on his back.

When she stood in her lace underwear, he hesitated, "Do you need help…Can you get out of that?" he asked awkwardly.

Natalia nodded, "I think I can manage this…Thank you."

Jeremy nodded and continued to hold onto her waist until he realized he was and stepped back. "I'll leave you to it then. I'll make you something to eat." He pointed to an intercom on the wall and pressed a button, "It's on, so if you need me, just shout and I'll hear you throughout the house."

Natalia nodded, "Okay, thank you." When the door closed she sighed deeply and winced as her head rang with pain. She reached behind her and undid her bra, tossing it to the floor before stepping out of her underwear and walking to the tub.

Easing in, she groaned softly and hissed as her bumps and bruises protested. The gently scented water smelled of lavender and honey, soothing her anxiety and pain. The anger, pain and shock from the night before finally caught up to her as the memory of the previous evening came crashing down.

"A wolf…a goddamn wolf….and Nathaniel tried to rape me….what the fuck kind of town is this?!" she whispered, running her hands over her face. A hysterical laugh ripped out of her, tearing into her chest. It was followed by a gasp, then another laugh, and another, quickly turning into tears.

Jeremy stood in the kitchen, listening to her sobs, and tried to block out the sound. He gripped the wooden counter so tightly it cracked under his hands. Stepping back, he paced, taking deep breaths, trying to control himself so he wouldn't undergo the Change.

He had no right to feel the way he did about Natalia. She wasn't his girlfriend, or his lover. She was just a random woman. That didn't mean he couldn't try to help her, he knew that. It was the right thing to do...but these other desires; to care for her physically and emotionally, to let her in...it was wrong. It was dangerous.

After long minutes he finally regained control and continued chopping the fruit he had taken out of the fridge, adding it to the tray along with the toast and scrambled egg. He poured water into a mug and let the tea steep as he carried the tray upstairs to the bedroom, setting it down on the bed.

He went to the room Elena and Clay normally shared and gathered up a pair of sweatpants and a loose tshirt for Natalia, taking them back to the bedroom. Knocking on the bathroom door, he called out softly, "Natalia, there's a change of clothes on the bed and food. If you need anything else, I'll be just outside."

"Okay, thank you" she called back. After a moment Jeremy turned away and walked out into the hallway, staring out the window at the falling snow. It was midmorning, and he was sure by now that the townspeople were wondering what had happened to Natalia.

They would have to come up with a story…or at least agree on their story.

A few minutes later he heard the bathroom door open and smelled the lavender and honey waft out. He heard Natalia's sigh as she pulled on the new clothes and sank onto the bed, pulling the tray onto her lap before she began to eat.

He knocked softly on the door, waiting until Natalia called out, "Come in", to enter. He smiled at her, happy to see a little more color in her cheeks. Her long hair was wet and loose around her shoulders, a towel down around her shoulders to keep her shirt from getting soaked.

Sitting down on the bed next to her, he touched her cheek and then her forehead softly, "Hmm you don't feel like you're getting a fever. That's great. Do you feel any better?" he asked.

Natalia nodded, "My head hurts a lot less, and I feel less pain all over. The food is helping too." She smiled tiredly at him and ran a hand through her hair wincing as her fingers brushed over the spot where her head had cracked against the brick.

Jeremy leaned in, his fingers replacing hers, probing gently until they found the tender spot. When they came away bloody he frowned. "Hold on, let me get something so I can apply pressure to that" he stood and went to the bathroom, grabbing a small rag.

He came back and sat down beside her, gently brushing her hair aside, pushing the rag against the side of her head. As Natalia finished eating, a satisfying warmth filled her belly and her eyes grew heavy. Jeremy gently pulled the rag away from her head and was satisfied to see the scrape had stopped bleeding.

To his surprise, Natalia turned and rested her head on his chest, her damp hair strewn across her cheek. Jeremy hesitated, not wanting to disturb her, and then shifted and kicked his shoes off before lifting his feet up onto the bed, settling back more comfortably.

Within a few minutes they were both asleep, neither having slept well the night before; one from trauma, the other from fear and worry.

* * *

Hours later Natalia woke, warm and in a pair of strong arms-arms that were somehow both familiar and foreign to her. She knew them…they had carried her before…but she had never woken in them before….she liked the feeling, the safety, the warmth.

When her eyes opened slowly she looked up into the face of Jeremy and smiled, he looked so sweet, so peaceful. She still couldn't believe he had saved her from freezing to death in the alley after Nathaniel had attacked her.

She suddenly thought of JoAnne and realized she would probably be extremely worried about her. Her phone was still in her purse…which was across the room. She didn't really want to move at the moment anyway.

Staying in bed, in Jeremy's arms seemed like a much better idea.

A few minutes later when Jeremy awoke and found Natalia staring up at him, he smiled down at her, gently brushing back her hair from her cheek, losing himself in her eyes. His fingers traced over her cheekbones softly, his thumb brushing over her bottom lip, their eyes connecting.

Jeremy heard Natalia's soft intake of breath and felt a stronger flush of desire. When her tongue darted out to touch where his thumb had been, he gritted his teeth and rolled away abruptly. Standing he walked over to the window and stared out, trying to focus on anything but Natalia.

Natalia sighed, she had seen the desire in Jeremy's eyes and had wanted to kiss him, but everything that had happened recently was leaving her feeling uneasy, and overwhelmed. She ran a hand over her face and stood, slowly.

Bending down and reaching into her purse, she pulled her phone out, cringing when she saw the 6 missed texts and 4 calls from JoAnne.

 _Hey did you get home ok?_

 _Hey, Nathaniel just came in raving about a wolf! Are you ok?_

 _Natalia, where are you?_

 _Please let me know ur ok!_

 _Natalia, I'm going to the police if you don't call me._

 _Natalia, please call me or I'm going to the police._

Natalia quickly texted back; _I'm ok. I'm with Jeremy Danvers at StoneHaven. I'll be back later to explain everything. I'm so sorry I worried you._

A minute later JoAnne texted back; _Oh thank god! Okay, let me know if you need a ride or anything. I'll see you soon._

Natalia sighed and tucked the phone into her pocket. "I just told JoAnne everything is fine. What I want to know is…was that wolf real last night?" she asked wearily. She watched as Jeremy's shoulders tightened.

 _It was...it was me. Does that scare you? Would you hate me?-_ he wondered what she would say if he told her the truth. Not that he ever could. Or would.

Jeremy turned, his face lined with stress. "It was. We haven't had a problem in a year. I'm sorry you were frightened by it."

Natalia walked slowly over to him and looked out the window at the snow, frowning slightly. "I wasn't, not really. It was startling to see one so close, but it wasn't scary, per se. I didn't realize they were so large." She stared up at him, "Are they bigger around here?" she asked.

Jeremy shrugged, "Maybe. It probably isn't dangerous. It didn't attack you, so it probably wasn't interested in harming either you or Nathaniel. Who knows why it came into town." He kept his face carefully neutral, staring out the window, hoping she wouldn't press the issue more.

Natalia nodded, "Okay….okay." She sighed and leaned against the window frame, watching as snow fell. It looked quite heavy, and she had no desire to leave and try to go out and back to the B&B. Turning to Jeremy, she smiled, "Do you have any movies?" she asked.

Jeremy hesitated and then nodded, "We do. Can you make it downstairs?" he asked. Natalia nodded and took his hand, walking slowly down the stairs until they were in the large study. Natalia sank down in the couch and a few moments later, Jeremy joined her, turning on the large TV.

They quickly found a movie to watch, a classic- Pride and Prejudice, and after a few moments, Natalia snuggled into Jeremy's side. He stiffened for a moment and then wrapped an arm around her, a small smile playing at his lips. There were no townspeople here to judge him...he could enjoy this little moment.

He was surprisingly content….and worried. He wanted to stay like this, but he knew this peace couldn't last, and he couldn't risk growing more attached to Natalia.

After she was better and left, he couldn't see her again. He would have to help her pick out paintings to take to New York today. There could be no more of them touching, sleeping near each other, feeling this desire.

It had to end.


	5. The one that got away

_**AN: Hey dearest readers, thank you so much for liking/following! I hope some of you will review, I would love to know what you think! Anyway, I hope you are enjoying the story. For this chapter, for the section where they go for a little winter wonderland walk I suggest listening to "Somewhere only we know" by Lily Allen. It's perfection. Thank you for reading! -more good stuff to come!**_

* * *

When the movie had ended Natalia sighed, it was getting later in the day, she could see it growing darker outside, and more snow was falling. Yet she had no desire to leave StoneHaven and return to the small town-and prying eyes.

Jeremy heard Natalia's sigh and glanced down at her, "Are you alright?" he asked softly. He wondered if she was in pain. Her body was much more fragile than his, it was likely.

Natalia shrugged, turning to face him, running her hand through her hair, her face seeming tired to him despite the rest she had gotten. "I'm just not sure I'm ready to go back to town and face people. I know I need to go to the police and file a report against Nathaniel, trust me, I'm going to do that...I just don't want to talk to everyone."

"Why don't you stay here until you go back to New York?" Jeremy heard himself offering. - _What? She's not safe here! She can't be anywhere near StoneHaven for much longer. You have to protect the Pack! What the hell are you doing?!-_ Jeremy shouted at himself internally. And yet, he couldn't let her leave. He couldn't let her be alone, or in danger from Nathaniel.

He had told the international council of Alphas that he would always be the one who would determine who was welcome to the sanctuary of his home, and he knew, deep down that this was the right decision. Natalia hadn't been safe in town, and he knew he could protect her here if anything happened. This was the right choice.

When she smiled, it lit up his heart.

"Thank you Jeremy, I appreciate that." She frowned, "Oh...but all my things are at the B&B..."she hesitated and then asked, "Do you think we could go talk to the sheriff and gather my things?"

Jeremy paused and then nodded, "We could also have the sheriff come out here, and I could go gather your things. You could ask JoAnne to pack them up for you, tell her that you'll be staying here until you go back. That you don't feel safe in town with Nathaniel so close by."

Natalia nodded slowly, "That's not a bad idea." She grabbed her phone, "Okay, I'll call JoAnne if you call the sheriff?" she offered.

Jeremy stood and nodded, walking over to his desk to dial the sheriff. Within moments they were both deep in discussion.

"No JoAnne, it's not that I don't love the B&B and I don't want to be there with you and your grandma, it's just that I don't feel safe. Nathaniel attacked me in the alley, he tried to rape me. Yea. Yea...the sheriff is coming out here to take my statement so don't say anything. Please. Okay. Yea, Jeremy is coming by to get my bags if you wouldn't mind packing up my stuff. Okay, thank you, I owe you." Natalia smiled fondly and hung up a few moments later, bidding JoAnne goodbye.

Jeremy hung up with the sheriff and sat back down on the couch, sighing.

"She'll be here in an hour. She was...unsurprised. Apparently his ex-girlfriend was going to press charges, and then changed her mind."

Natalia shook her head, "I'm not going to."

Jeremy clenched the arm of the couch, the leather creaking. Natalia touched his hand softly, "Hey, I'm ok. Bumps and bruises." She smiled softly, not quite reaching her eyes, trying to convince them both.

Jeremy hated that she was trying to calm him, hated that this human monster had hurt her. He relaxed his hand and breathed slowly, calming. Natalia smiled, happier this time.

"Hey, we have some time to kill, why don't we go for a walk?" she suggested.

Jeremy actually laughed at that, "In the snow?"

Natalia grinned, "Yea, it's like a wonderland. I love it."

He nodded and stood, going to put his boots and jacket on while Natalia went to change into her pants from the previous evening and slipped her boots on. Jeremy met her at the back door, holding her jacket out and a warm hat of Elena's.

Offering her his arm, he smiled as they walked outside and onto a path that he kept shoveled for walks just like these.

As they strolled through the softly falling snow, neither spoke-choosing instead to share smiles and long looks, their eyes resting on each other's faces and then turning away.

When they came to a small grove of trees, Natalia let out a tiny gasp; it was pine trees covered in snow surrounding a gazebo lit with white lights.

Jeremy had put it together a few weeks ago so the family could come out and have someplace beautiful to gather on their pre-dawn Christmas morning run.

Jeremy led her inside and they stood inside, watching the snow fall around them, softly hissing.

When Natalia turned to look up at him, her eyes shone with happiness, and the smile on her face was genuine. "This is amazing. It's like a dream."

Jeremy felt his defenses crumbling, and when he reached out, touching her cheek softly, he couldn't stop staring at her. He wanted to know what she tasted like, what her body felt like against his...he wanted her, badly.

Natalia felt her heart beat faster at his touch and stepped closer, yearning for Jeremy to hold her. When his thumb brushed across her bottom lip, she parted them, gently biting it.

She reached up and took his hand, lacing her fingers through his, her other hand reaching up to wind through his long locks, tugging on them as she rose up on her toes to brush her lips against his, her eyes drifting shut.

Jeremy thought he would go mad, her lips were soft, and tasted like mint from her lipgloss. Her lips parted in a sigh, allowing him to deepen the kiss, drawing her closer, a low growl escaping him.

He broke away for a moment, his nose gently brushing hers, and took a breath of the frozen air. Natalia ran a finger over his cheekbone and smiled, tilting her chin up to kiss him softly again.

Jeremy was lost again, all thought erased.

Natalia could barely breathe, let alone think, yet what she could think was that she was somehow both frozen and on fire. She wanted to be closer to Jeremy, and to not be quite so cold.

Pulling away she rested her head against his chest and sighed happily, "Not that I'm not thoroughly enjoying this, but would you mind if we went back? I'm slightly frozen" she joked.

Jeremy laughed softly and nodded, "Of course. The last thing you need is a cold." He took her hand and they walked slowly back to the house, stopping frequently for him to lean down and kiss her. By the time they made it back, they were both breathless again and pink in the face-from the cold and from the kissing.

Natalia shuddered as she slid her coat off.

Jeremy hung their coats and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair, nuzzling her neck, "Why don't we settle in by the fire and warm up while we wait for the sheriff?" he suggested. Natalia nodded and took his hand, leading him to the study to sink down on the large couch, pulling a blanket down on them and snuggling into his chest.

"How does your head feel?" Jeremy asked softly, running his fingers through her hair gently. Natalia turned her head up and kissed his jaw softly, "It's fine. That one spot is a little tender, but I'm ok."

He made a soft hmm-ing noise and continued to play with her hair, soothing her. Natalia's eyes drifted shut and she relaxed, imagining a life where this was normal, where she and Jeremy spent their days together-walking through the snow, kissing, being in love. It made her heart ache with want.

A short while later there was a knock at the front door-the sheriff- Jeremy could smell the gunpowder and leather. He squeezed Natalia's arm and smiled at her when her eyes opened, "I'm going to go let the sheriff in. I'll be right back."

Natalia heard low voices at the front door and moments later Jeremy walked in with a woman in a sheriff's uniform fast on his heels. Natalia stood and extended her hand, smiling, "Nice to meet you Sheriff, I'm Natalia Romano." The sheriff smiled warmly and shook her hand, "It's nice to meet you as well Miss Romano, though not under these circumstances. I'm Sheriff Karen Morgan." She extended her hand towards the couch, "Why don't we sit and you tell me what happened last night?"

Natalia nodded and sat, Jeremy beside her. "I've been staying at the B&B in town, and the young woman that helps to run it, JoAnne, convinced me to go out to the bar, the Black Rooster. We got there around 10pm, had a drink, and I was dancing with some of the local men, having a few more drinks when I decided to sit down and catch my breath. JoAnne told me that Jeremy had just shown up, but that I should go talk to Nathaniel Hayes, because Nathaniel had been checking me out, and agreed, somewhat reluctantly."

She took a breath and continued, "I walked over to Nathaniel and asked him if he wanted a refill on his drink and he said no, and offered to dance with me. We went out and danced for a little bit, and then Jeremy came out and asked if he could cut in. Nathaniel didn't seem to like that, but I agreed. Shortly after Jeremy and I danced and had a drink, he left, and Nathaniel joined me for a drink. At that point I was feeling tipsy, and I told JoAnne that I was going back to the B&B. Nathaniel offered to walk me back, and we left. When we got outside, he put his arm around me, and when we got further down the street, he pulled me into the alley and started kissing me. I tried to push him away, but he was too big...too heavy."

Natalia took a shuddering breath and reached out for Jeremy's hand, squeezing it when he took her hand in his. Giving him a weak smile, she continued.

"When he pushed my coat open and started groping me I was finally able to break away and told him to stop and leave me alone. He got angry and said that "you're all the same", and grabbed my arms-hard- and shoved me back against the brick wall so hard I almost blacked out."

She shook her head, "I think he called me a stupid bitch, and that's when he started trying to pull my pants off...I tried to stop him, but I couldn't even open my eyes...And then I heard something...a growl."

At this, the sheriff looked up from her note taking, "A growl?" she asked.

Natalia nodded, "Yea. Nathaniel backed away from me and I fell to the ground, and when I opened my eyes, I saw a wolf circling him. He ran away, and left me there. It came over and sniffed at me...and then it left." She looked puzzled and then shook her head, "A few minutes later Jeremy ran into the alley and...I don't remember much after that."

The sheriff took notes for a few more minutes after Natalia went silent and then nodded, "This is really good Natalia. You remembered a lot of details which is great. Thank you for coming forward."

Natalia smiled tiredly, "Thank you for believing me."

Sheriff Morgan reached out and squeezed her hand gently, "I've seen his ex. He's no angel. I've had my eye on him."

Natalia nodded, "I wish I had known."

Sheriff Morgan sighed, "JoAnne didn't know, or she would have warned you. She's a good kid. I'm going to go back to the station and write this up. We'll get a warrant up for his arrest in the morning. If I need anything else, I can find you here?" she asked.

Natalia nodded, "I don't feel safe in town."

The sheriff nodded, "Understandable. I'll see you soon Miss Romano." She shook Natalia's hand and spoke softly to Jeremy as they walked out.

A few moments later he returned and found Natalia standing before the fire, staring into the flames. She turned and smiled up at him, her expression sad. He touched her cheek softly, "How are you?" he asked quietly.

She shrugged, "I don't know...how am I supposed to be?" she asked.

Jeremy sighed, "I'm not sure either. Do you want to come with me while I go get your things?" he offered.

Natalia shook her head, "No, I'd rather stay here if that's ok."

He nodded and studied her, she seemed contemplative. He understood that mood, it had plagued him for nearly a year since his family had been under siege. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he whispered, "I'm going into town then. If you need anything, just call."

Natalia nodded and continued to stare into the fire, hardly noticing when he had left.

* * *

When Jeremy returned to the house an hour later he sniffed, surprised. He smelled something delicious cooking in the kitchen. When he set Natalia's bags down and hung his coat up he wandered in and found her standing in front of the stove, stirring a pot of sauce, a glass of wine in her hand, humming to music.

The domestic sight stirred him, giving him visions of her in the kitchen, surrounded by the Pack, noise filling the kitchen. His heart warred with itself; knowing it could never be that way- yet wanting it more than he had wanted anything before.

She turned to smile at him over her shoulder and he was lost. Walking over to wrap his arms around her waist, he kissed her neck softly, "Mmmm, smells delicious, what is it?" he asked.

Natalia smiled, "Pasta sauce. My grandma's recipe. She always told me not to make it for a man unless I wanted him to fall in love with me" she laughed, "So fair warning I guess."

Jeremy chuckled, "Must be good sauce."

Natalia nodded, "Let me get the chicken out of the oven and toss the pasta in the water and dinner will be ready in about 15 minutes."

Jeremy stepped back, pouring himself a glass of wine. "Can I help?" he offered.

Natalia shook her head, "Nope. It's my way of saying thank you for saving me, and for letting me stay." She shot him a bright smile, "So thank you."

When she had lowered the water temp on the pasta and the chicken was resting, Jeremy smiled and took the wine glass out of her hand, replacing it with his hand, towing her around the room, twirling her lightly.

Natalia grinned, "You're quite charming you know that?"

Jeremy shook his head, "I just like dancing with you."

She smiled and shook her head gently, resting her cheek on his chest. Natalia couldn't remember the last time she had such chemistry with a man. It was sweet, and fiery, the way they fit. She wanted to dance and cook, and kiss and spend all of her time with Jeremy. But part of her knew she had to leave and go back to New York.

Sighing softly, she tried to ignore that part.

Jeremy could feel Natalia's emotions- happiness, unease, arousal. They closely matched his own. He wanted to have her stay at StoneHaven, but the danger of her learning his family's secret was too great. She would need to leave soon. For both of their sakes.

Hopefully both of their hearts could handle the parting.

When they sat down to eat dinner they were both quiet, contemplating their future. Jeremy bit into the chicken and pasta, the sauce exploding with flavor in his mouth.

He grinned over at Natalia, "Your grandmother was a wise woman-this sauce is amazing."

She laughed, "I should sell it- call it something catchy."

Jeremy shook his head, "No, keep it a secret. It's too good to share."

After they had eaten Jeremy insisted on cleaning the dishes, leaving Natalia to wander upstairs with her wine, peering into Jeremy's workroom, hoping to see his progress on her painting.

In the evening light she stood staring at it; the swirls of dark paint with explosions of red and white. The stormy night sky unleashed snow down onto a fiery landscape...it was terrifying and beautiful.

"Do you like it?" Jeremy murmured from behind her.

Natalia nodded, "More than before. It's..."she sighed, unable to put into words what she felt.

She turned and found Jeremy looking at her with such hunger it set her pulse pounding. But when she stepped forward, he moved back, turning aside. "I-I...I was going to do some painting actually, if you don't mind" he muttered.

Natalia stared at him for a moment and then nodded, her heart stung. She stepped past him and walked down the hall to the guest room, shutting the door quietly-though it sounded like a slam in the quiet house.

Wrapping an arm around her waist, her other hand went over her mouth, stifling a sob; she had to control herself- she knew she would be leaving, it was better this way...hunching over she gasped for air and wiped at her face, taking a deep breath before she was able to straighten and compose herself.

Jeremy stood in front of the painting, his hand clenched around the brush, listening to Natalia sob and gasp, hearing her pain. He angrily brushed paint across the canvas. No matter what he did he would cause her pain. Now- later- it didn't matter.

It was only a matter of time.


	6. Stay

_**AN: Hey guys! I hope you are enjoying the story, I would really love to hear some feedback from you all! Please review and let me know what you think! I really like the song "Stay" by Rihanna for this chapter. So yea, give it a listen! Thank you for reading xoxo**_

* * *

Natalia sat on the bed, trying to focus on her book, but her anger and hurt distracted her. There was no way she could stay here now. Standing with a huff she walked to the window and frowned at the huge drifts of snow now piling up. She wouldn't be getting out of the house or StoneHaven by herself.

She couldn't ask JoAnne to come get her that was too much to ask of the young woman…Pulling the card the sheriff had given her out of her pocket she stared at it for a moment and then dialed.

"Hi, Sheriff Morgan? This is Natalia Romano. How are you?" she asked politely.

There was a beat of silence and then the other woman spoke, "I'm fine Natalia, are you alright?" she asked.

Natalia sighed, "I'm fine, I just need to be getting back to New York before all this snow traps me here. Do you think you could give me a ride back to the B&B, my car is still there and I want to get out tonight."

The sheriff hesitated, "Well, it's already getting dark. I wouldn't be able to come get you, I'm already at home with my family. I could have one of my deputies out there first thing in the morning though. The weather is supposed to clear then. Is that alright?" she asked.

Natalia sighed, "That's fine. I appreciate your help. Thank you."

"You're welcome Miss Romano. Stay warm and safe tonight. Goodnight." Sheriff Morgan hung up.

Natalia sighed, frustrated and tossed her phone onto the bed. – _Great, now I'm stuck here-_ she thought to herself. Flopping back down on the bed, she ran a hand over her face and stared up at the ceiling, wondering just how she was going to avoid Jeremy for the whole night.

After a little while, it didn't matter. She changed into her pajamas, lay on the bed and read her book, ignoring Jeremy's presence in the house entirely. Hours passed until her eyes grew weary and she looked up, checking the time on her phone- shocked to see it was nearly 1am.

Standing up from the bed, she stretched and went to the door, listening for any sound from within the house. Not hearing anything, she opened the door and ghosted down the stairs to the kitchen, the house lit only by moonlight bouncing off the snow.

Natalia hunted through the cabinets until she found mugs for tea. Her eye also caught on tumblers for whiskey and she hesitated…considering her options…considering her day.

After a moment she placed the mug back in the cabinet and took the tumbler out, reaching for the whiskey bottle on the counter, pouring herself a generous amount. Walking over to the door, she peered out the glass frames at the moonlight on the snow, sipping slowly.

She knew that Jeremy was attracted to her; he wouldn't have kissed her otherwise, what she didn't understand was why he had backed away from her earlier. Sure she was leaving soon, but that didn't mean they couldn't have something nice, something wonderful while she was here.

Maybe he thought it wasn't worth his time. That _she_ wasn't worth his time.

Scoffing lightly, Natalia sipped on her drink and shook her head. If that was true, then she wanted nothing to do with him.

* * *

Jeremy stood in the doorway, silent. He had been painting for hours, until he had finally spent all of his anger and frustration with himself. When he had stepped out of his workroom, the house was silent, unmoving.

As he washed his hands, he had heard a noise on the stairs, and then another from down in the kitchen, then when he listened harder, he realized it was Natalia. He had moved silently down the stairs and had come to stand in the doorway, watching her drink his whiskey, staring contemplatively out at the night.

Her long legs were bare, a small pair of lace shorts covering her bottom, a sweater covering her shoulders. Her long hair was loose around her shoulders, giving her an air of relaxation and vulnerability.

The sight of her stirred him. He ached to go over and touch her, to kiss her, but he was sure that she was still angry with him from before. He couldn't blame her. He was running hot and then cold with his emotions, and it wasn't even her fault. He was waging an internal battle that he needed to sort out before he could ever take a step forward.

He could sense her emotions; she was upset-with him. Taking a risk, he stepped forward into the kitchen, still hardly making any noise, and walked up behind her, "Natalia" he murmured. He watched as her body stiffened, and smelled her reaction; her anger, her desire, mingling.

"I-I wanted to tell you I'm sorry, for earlier. I didn't mean to be so abrupt…I'm not good…I haven't had a relationship or been with anyone in a long time." Jeremy cringed, he sounded so pathetic.

Natalia turned and stared him down, her expression apathetic. Jeremy stared back, his expression pleading. When it became clear she wasn't going to show him anything else, he grew frustrated with himself, with her, with the secrets that held him back, tethering him down.

With a low growl he spun on his heel and grabbed the whiskey bottle, pouring himself a glass, taking a large swig before he glared at Natalia, "There are things about my family and our life I can't tell you. They are private, and not for you to know. But those things, they don't change how I feel about you. Nothing could change that. Please don't ever think that I don't care about you."

He ended the internal battle and let her see how he felt, let out the words, and let his expression show his desire, hope and want.

Natalia swallowed hard, the whiskey burning her throat, her eyes watering. She looked away, unable to look any longer into Jeremy's earnest gaze. His heartfelt words left her feeling unsettled. Part of her wanted to shout at him, throw her drink, and storm around. She hadn't come here expecting any of this. She had come here for a damn job.

But the other part reasoned that she should hear him out, give him at least a semblance of a second chance. "Tell me something…"Natalia took a sip, "If I wanted to leave, would you stop me?" she asked softly. She had seen the pictures of Jeremy's family, had seen how close they were, and could tell from the way he talked about them how possessive he was.

The last thing she needed was someone trying to tie her down to a volatile relationship that would be unhealthy...

Jeremy felt his stomach contract at the idea of her leaving, but shook his head, "No. If you want to go, you're free to leave. I would be distraught to see you go." He frowned, stepping closer, reaching a hand out to touch her hair softly.

"It would kill me to see you go" he whispered.

Natalia stared at him, the moonlight illuminating his face, the pain written there clearly.

"I don't want to go…but I don't think we can hurt each other like this anymore. I don't trust easily since the divorce, and I chose to open up to you, to trust you. Please…don't betray that again." Natalia reached out, her hand shaking, to touch his chest softly.

Jeremy's hand covered hers, and they stared at each other for a long moment before he set his drink aside and reached out, burying his fingers in her long tresses, stepping closer and drawing her body against his.

"I won't ever betray or hurt you like that again. I'm so sorry." He leaned down and brushed a kiss across her cheek, "I'm sorry" he whispered.

Natalia's breathing came faster, her gaze locking on Jeremy's lips. She wanted to kiss him so badly…but she was so scared. If she was going to get past this, she had to move.

She leaned up and brushed her lips against his, her heart beating faster. Her fingers wound through his hair, tugging him closer, breathing him in, tasting the whisky on his tongue, moaning softly as they deepened the kiss.

Jeremy's arms wrapped around her waist, lifting her, carrying her to the kitchen table, setting her down and settling himself between her legs. He pushed at the sweater on her shoulders, tossing it aside as he ran his hands down her arms, his fingers raising goosebumps on her skin.

Kissing down her neck, he nipped lightly at her skin, a low sound coming from his throat at the taste of her. While he pushed her gently down onto the table, kissing down her clavicle and onto the swell of her breast, he ran a hand up the side of her thigh, marveling at the softness of her skin.

He swept aside the lacy fabric covering her breast and immediately his mouth descended, his tongue flicking over her nipple, teasing it into a peak. Natalia moaned and arched against his mouth, her fingers winding through his hair.

Her hips arched against his, rubbing into the rough fabric of his jeans and the hard length of his erection. "Jer-Jeremy…oh!" she cried out as he continued his ministrations on her other breast. Pleasure pulsed through her and she wrapped her legs around his waist, sitting up to kiss him deeply.

Jeremy wrapped his arms around her, lifting her and carrying her upstairs, kissing her repeatedly. Kicking his bedroom door open he walked over and laid her down, leaning over her, pulling her top off and tossing it aside.

Natalia reached up and unbuttoned the waistcoat, pushing it off, sighing with frustration at his shirt underneath. "Too many clothes" she muttered.

Jeremy grinned and quickly unbuttoned the shirt, tossing it aside. Natalia made a low noise of satisfaction, reaching up to touch his chest. Her fingernails scraped down his chest, a smirk crossing her lips as she ran her hands over the body she had been fantasizing about.

She quickly unbuttoned his pants and shoved them down his hips, Jeremy standing up quickly to shove them off the rest of the way. When he was fully nude before her, Natalia sighed and leaned up on her elbows and grinned, crooking a finger, "Come here."

Jeremy gave her a wicked a grin and leaned down over her, running his hand down her chest, over her abdomen and over her thigh, pulling her up against him, kissing her deeply. Her taut nipples brushed against his chest, aching when they teased through the light smattering of chest hair.

Jeremy pulled away and dropped kisses down her body, tugging off her shorts before he spread her thighs and leaned in, placing soft kisses along the inside of her right thigh. He could hear Natalia's breathing increase as he kissed and nipped the skin along her thigh, and felt his own pulse race.

When he ran his tongue over her wet core, his tongue sinking inside her, Natalia moaned, her hips shifting against him. Jeremy sunk his fingers into the flesh of her thigh, holding her down as he continued to run his tongue over her, sinking in, and then coming up to tease her clit.

Natalia moaned and writhed, grasping the sheets, aching with pleasure. It had been two years since she had been with a man…two very long years that she had been taking care of herself. It wasn't until now that she felt the difference….especially the difference between her ex and Jeremy.

Jeremy gave….. "Oh! Jeremy! Shit!" she cried out….her ex had only ever taken his pleasure, occasionally helping her achieve orgasm.

As Jeremy flicked his tongue over her clit, Natalia felt a wave of pleasure ripple through her. When he inserted two fingers inside her, flicking them repeatedly against the gspot inside her while his tongue flicked against her clit she cried out, arching her back, waves of pleasure crashing over her.

"Yes Jeremy! Right there!" she moaned. She could feel her orgasm rushing closer, her breath coming in pants. A few moments later it came, blowing through her body, her limbs shaking with pleasure as she cried out Jeremy's name, her fingers twined through his hair, nails scraping his head.

As she came down, Jeremy kissed her thigh, nipping the skin again before kissing his way up her body to kiss her sweetly. Natalia breathed unevenly and grinned at Jeremy, "That….that was delightful" she ran her fingers through his hair, tugging on it lightly.

Jeremy smiled, "Let's shoot for amazing" he murmured, leaning down to kiss her, grabbing her hip and rolling them over so Natalia was on top. Natalia smiled and leaned forward, kissing him passionately as she lifted her hips and sank down onto his hard length with a breathy sigh.

Jeremy flexed his hips, driving up into Natalia with a low growl. She moaned and thrust down against him, bracing her hands against his chest. They locked gazes and moved against each other, setting a rhythm that slowly increased, leaving the both of them gasping as they shared deep, desperate kisses.

Natalia felt the pleasure running through her in sparks and moved faster, needing release, aching for it. When Jeremy sat up and pulled her closer, sinking into her deeper, she let out a whimper of satisfaction, her hips swirling against him as she begged for more.

"Faster Jeremy…please…please" she whispered, clinging to his shoulders, her breathy request driving him crazy.

Jeremy groaned and plunged into her faster, harder, his head falling into the crook of her shoulder as he gasped, "Yes Natalia….yes" he murmured. Natalia cradled his head, gripping his hair tightly, her breath coming in sobs as her hips met Jeremy's.

She was so close….When she reached a hand between their bodies to touch her own clit, teasing it gently, she gasped. She continued to touch herself as she moved against Jeremy, whispering to him, "I'm so close Jeremy…"

Jeremy growled low in his throat, he wasn't far behind her. Wrapping an arm around Natalia's back, he rolled her over and lifted her hips, plunging into her, watching as she continued to pleasure herself. Jeremy groaned, it was so hot.

A few moments later Natalia cried out, gripping Jeremy's bicep hard as she came, spots of light in her vision blinding her. Jeremy watched as Natalia arched up, her breasts heaving with pleasure, his name falling from her lips, her thighs tightening around him.

He groaned, she was so beautiful, he wanted to see her like this all the time….Plunging into her repeatedly, he growled as he came, his wolf vision flickering into existence for a moment before flickering out.

Jeremy collapsed forward onto his elbows, breathing heavily, Natalia's body pressed against his, her arms wrapped around him. He bumped her nose with his gently, dropping a light kiss on her lips.

Natalia smiled, running her fingers through his hair, "That was amazing Jeremy." She tilted her chin and kissed him softly.

When he rolled from on top of her, Natalia grinned and rolled onto her side, watching as he got up, hunting for his underwear. "Where you going big guy?" she asked laughing softly.

Jeremy smiled softly, "I don't know about you, but I'm hungry."

Natalia sat up, nodding, "I could eat."

Jeremy leaned down and kissed her, "Then relax and I'll be right back."

Natalia grinned and watched his delectable ass leave the room before sinking back against the pillows. A shiver ran across her body and she pulled the sheets up, staring around the room. It was obviously a man's, heavily decorated in dark woods, and navy blues.

Yet she liked it, found it welcoming. The sheets smelled like Jeremy when she sank down into them, and were softer linen, in a gorgeous shade of burgundy. Glancing around, she stood and pulled on her pajama set before walking into the bathroom and shutting the door.

Turning the light on, she winced at her mussed hair and quickly rearranged into something more presentable. Peering around, she saw another door and pushed it open, walking into a closet. Running her fingers over Jeremy's shirts she leaned in, inhaling the light scent of him.

When she heard Jeremy's footsteps on the stairs she quickly turned away and went to use the bathroom, washing her hands and then coming out a moment later to smile at him and sit on the bed. Jeremy smiled and handed her a plate loaded with leftovers from dinner.

He sat beside her, trying not to eat too fast. When they had both finished eating Jeremy took the plate from her and pulled her into his embrace, staring down at her, a warm smile on his face. Natalia smiled back, running her fingers over his cheekbones, "Are you happy?" she whispered.

"Happier than I've been in a very long time" Jeremy murmured. It was true, he was amazed to realize.

Natalia nodded, leaning up to kiss him softly, "Me too. Thank you."

Jeremy shook his head and kissed her, "Get some rest" he whispered, watching as her eyes fluttered closed, pulling her into his arms. He ran his fingers over her arm softly, watching as she fell asleep.

His own weariness grew and he laid his head down, closing his eyes and breathing in Natalia's soft scent. He wanted her here beside him every night, in his arms. He wanted to see her when he woke up, make breakfast with her, make love to her, and see her smile every time she saw him.

He sighed, he couldn't have those things. What he could have was a few more days, at most. He was determined to get all the joy out of those days that he could, and hoped that he would be able to enjoy his life once she was no longer in it.


	7. Spells

_**AN: Hey guys! I'm glad you like the story! I'm sorry to the guest reviewer that didn't and thought Jeremy is acting OOC. I think in some contexts of the show, yes. For me, this story would take place after S2, after he has lost a significant portion of his family, and gone through hell. He's already not a very approachable man to outsiders, so after all of that, he wouldn't be very amenable to an outsider trying to get him to open up and do a showing of his paintings. Anyway...this chapter is pretty cool if I do say so myself! I actually had to do some research on Wicca spells! So yea, enjoy! please review! xoxox**_

* * *

The next morning Jeremy rose early to make breakfast while Natalia slept. He was busy scrambling eggs and sautéing bacon when he heard her rise from his bed and go into the shower. He briefly considered shutting off the stove and going up to join her, but his stomach was already growling, demanding to be fed.

Halfway through the breakfast preparations his phone rang, loud and urgent. At the same time, he heard a car rolling up the driveway. Frowning, he turned the heat down on the burners and picked up his phone, heading to the front door.

Seeing that it was Karl Marsten on the phone, he answered, staring out the window to see who it was that was arriving. He frowned, smelling the familiar scent of Savannah. She was with an unfamiliar woman, presumably a witch.

"Hello? Jeremy? Are you there?" Karl asked.

Jeremy sighed, "Yes, sorry. What is it Karl?" he asked.

"The mutts are coming Jeremy. Within the day. You need to call in reinforcements. You need the pack there." Karl's voice was low and urgent.

Jeremy closed his eyes and sighed, frustration pouring through him. Clay and Elena were more than a day away. Paige and Nick were as well. He was alone.

"Can you come Karl? The others are too far away." Jeremy didn't think Karl would come, didn't believe he could trust him.

Karl sighed, "I'll be there in a few hours. I promise."

Jeremy nodded, "Thank you." He hung up on Karl and watched out the window as Savannah and the new witch got out of the SUV and walked up to the front door, knocking on it loudly. Upstairs he could hear the shower shutting off and Natalia coming out.

Things were about to get dicey.

Sighing, he went to the front door and opened it, ushering Savannah in with a warm smile, "It's good to see you Savannah, please come in."

Savannah smiled and set her bags down, hugging Jeremy tightly. Taken aback for a moment, he paused and then smiled, wrapping her in a warm embrace. The other witch watched them with a warm smiled and when they parted she stepped forward, extending her hand, "Hello, I'm Sarah; it's nice to meet you."

Jeremy smiled softly, "It's nice to meet you Sarah. You're Savannah's guardian while Paige is away?" he asked.

Sarah nodded, "The coven appointed me while Paige is away. We've had a lovely time together, until now. Savannah had a vision of the Mutts attacking us and you; she saw people dying, so we came here."

Savannah touched Jeremy's hand and he turned to look at her, "We need to prepare, put wards up. They'll be here soon. We don't have much time." Her voice was urgent, worried.

Jeremy was worried now, not just about the Mutts and Savannah, but about what he was going to tell Natalia. He nodded and grabbed Savannah's bags, "You can stay in the guest room. Sarah would you like to stay with her, or in the other guest room?" he asked politely.

"With Savannah, I need to stay close" Sarah replied. Jeremy nodded and waved a hand, making sure they followed him upstairs. He pushed the door to the guest room open and was thankful that Natalia had made the bed after her solitary night there. He set Savannah's bags down and smiled as they arranged their things, "I was just making breakfast, please join me downstairs when you're ready."

The women nodded at him and turned to unpack, leaving him free to walk across the hall and inform Natalia that they had company. He found her finishing up dressing, and smiled at the sight of her, just in jeans, her bare back to him.

Walking over silently, he brushed his lips across her shoulder, his hand skimming across her abdomen. Natalia jumped slightly and then realized it was Jeremy. Smacking his hand lightly she turned her head and found his mouth, kissing him, and then whispering, "You scared me! I thought I heard someone else in the house!"

He nodded, brushing kisses along her shoulder, "There are other people here. Friends of the family. A young girl, Savannah, and her guardian, Sarah. They'll be staying for a few days. I wanted to tell you so you weren't startled."

Natalia smiled and stepped away from his roaming hands, pulling on her bra and then a sweater, grinning at his frown, "Well consider me informed." She stepped back over and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him softly.

Jeremy pulled away with a sigh, "We should go downstairs, there's still food on the burner." Natalia nodded and followed him down to the kitchen, sitting and watching him finish the food. They set the table and a few minutes later Natalia found herself face to face with a young girl and a woman around her age.

She stepped forward and smiled, "Hi, I'm Natalia Romano; I'm an art dealer working with Jeremy. It's nice to meet you both."

Savannah smiled shyly and waved, "I'm Savannah, nice to meet you."

Sarah grinned and stepped forward, shaking her hand, "I'm Sarah Harding; it's nice to meet you too. We're friends of the family, and Jeremy's been kind enough to let us stay here."

They all sat down at the table and dug into the breakfast that Jeremy had prepared, chatting politely. Jeremy deftly steered the conversation away from dangerous topics, and both Savannah and Sarah were smart enough to realize that Natalia was not knowledgeable to the truths of their identities or those of the Pack.

When everyone had eaten their fill Sarah and Savannah insisted on cleaning up, leaving Natalia and Jeremy to their own devices. Jeremy went to paint and Natalia sat in the living room by the fire, reading, her solitude eventually being broken when Savannah shyly asked to join her.

Natalia smiled brightly, "Please! It's been awfully quiet with just Jeremy and I around here. Do you have a book to read?" she asked.

Savannah nodded and sat next to her, pulling a book out of her backpack. They sat in silence, Savannah's feet curled under her, her head on Natalia's shoulder.

"Savannah! Come upstairs please!" Sarah called. Savannah sighed and smiled at Natalia before rising and heading upstairs.

A few moments later Natalia heard voices upstairs, talking softly. She wasn't able to make out words, but the tone sounded worried, urgent. Curious, she stood, and made her way silently to the foot of the stairs, listening intently.

After a moment she heard their words more clearly. Sarah spoke softly, "We need to conduct a warding spell immediately if we want the house to be safe. It's going to take time to prepare, so we need to start now. Savannah, are you ready for this?" she asked.

"Yes, I can do this" the younger girl murmured.

"What about Natalia? What do we tell her? She can't know about my family." Jeremy said urgently.

"Witchcraft has been in the modern world for years. She's probably heard of Wicca, so we can tell her what we're doing and it'll seem odd, but it'll fly. Just come up with a story. Okay?" Sarah asked.

There was movement upstairs and Natalia hurried back to the living room, her heart pounding. _Come up with a story? Lie to me is more like it. He told me he couldn't tell me certain things about his family…but witchcraft? What the hell!?_ -her mind scrambled to understand what the hell could be going on.

She was furious with Jeremy for planning to lie to her, for not trusting her with the truth. A few moments later when the trio came down the stairs, Jeremy found her on the couch, her nose buried in her book.

He could sense her emotions were unhappy, upset even, but he couldn't tell if it was about the book, or something else. Walking over, he sat down and brushed a strand of hair back from her face, smiling at her softly. "Good book?" he asked softly.

She shrugged, continuing to read. Jeremy felt his unease grow. Was she upset with him?

"What's wrong Natalia?" he asked.

"Nothing. I'm just tired." She set her book down and smiled at him, though it was strained, and nothing like how she had looked at him that morning.

Jeremy sighed and nodded, "Well Savannah and Sarah are going to do help me plan a coming home part for Clay, Elena, Nick and Paige. We're expecting them in a few days and they want to make things special. Paige, Sarah and Savannah are in a coven together, they practice Wicca."

Natalia raised a brow and Jeremy nodded, smiling, "Yea, I know. But they would like to lay a protection spell down around the house. There's another big snowstorm coming in, and it would help us stay safe through it. Would you mind helping us?" he asked awkwardly.

Natalia sat, staring at him, knowing he wasn't telling the truth, but that in one way, he was. They wanted to protect the house, they believed they were witches, and they wanted her help. She could either chose to ignore them and find a way to leave, or stay and help and figure out what the hell was going on.

Eventually, her curious side won out, and she nodded, "Fine, I'll help."

Jeremy smiled, "Thank you. I'm going to help them gather the items they need, and when we're ready, we'll come get you, okay?" he murmured.

Natalia nodded and smiled at him stiffly. Jeremy leaned in to kiss her, and felt a cold chill when she turned her face, his lips falling on her cheek. He pulled away and sighed, standing, staring at her for a moment before walking away.

Natalia sighed and shook her head, leaning forward, her head dropping into her hands, "What the hell is happening?" she whispered. She sat that way for a long time, contemplating how her life had gotten to this point.

She didn't cry, she didn't weep, she simply sat and wondered what it meant that her life was at the point that she was involved with a man that would tell her nothing about his family, his friends were witches, and he lied to her.

She had done no better in her first relationship after her divorce. Shaking her head, she stood and walked back upstairs to Jeremy's room, tossing her book on the bed before she mindlessly began to repack her suitcase.

Her phone buzzed and she smiled when she saw a text from JoAnne.

 _Hey girl! How are things at Jeremy's? Have you two shacked up yet? xD_

Natalia sighed and smiled wryly.

 _Things are ok, we hooked up last night…but things are weird today. His friends are here today, and they say they're saying they're witches._

 _WHAT?!_

 _Yea…they want to do a protection spell around the house…because there is another snow storm coming, and they want us to be safe…plus some bullshit about a homecoming party for Clay/Elena/Paige/Nick. I don't know JoAnne…I don't trust him. Something isn't right._

 _Do you want me to come get you?_

Natalia sighed and ran a hand over her face, shaking her head.

 _I don't think so. I just want to understand what's happening here._

 _*sigh* Okay. If you need anything, you let me know._

Natalia smiled.

 _Will do girl :D_

 _:) ttyl Natalia_

Natalia hear footsteps outside the door and sighed when the door opened, revealing Jeremy. He stood in the doorway, staring at her. "We're ready. Would you come outside with us?" he asked softly.

Natalia nodded and stood, "Sure." She pulled on her coat and followed him downstairs where Savannah handed her a white candle and a lighter.

Sarah handed her a walkie talkie, "We'll light the candles simultaneously, otherwise the spell doesn't work. Got it?" she asked.

Natalia nodded, taking the walkie and slipping it into her pocket before following her outside. Sarah pointed to the corner of the house, "We need to dig holes into the ground at the four corners of the house, bury the candles, light them, and then Savannah will burn the photo she has, and we will all repeat the following spell."

She handed them slips of paper which they read silently, and then tucked into their pockets. Sarah rubbed a spot of lavender oil onto each of their foreheads before nodding, "Okay, we're good. I set up the altar inside. Let's go."

Natalia nodded and headed for the south corner of the house, kneeling down to scrape away the snow and then dig into the frozen ground with the shovel that Jeremy had leaned against the house. When she was done she settled the candle into the ground and pulled the walkie out.

"I've got my candle ready" she informed the group.

"Good, I'm ready here" Sarah replied.

"Me too" Savannah chimed in.

"All done" Jeremy spoke softly.

"Okay, on the count of three, we light our candles. Everyone get ready" Sarah informed them.

Natalia knelt and pulled out her lighter, waiting.

"One"

Natalia flicked the lighter, getting the flame ready.

"Two"

She brought her hand closer, her other hand cupping the candle, making sure the flame wouldn't expire.

"Three"

She lit the candle, jumping when the flame jumped nearly six inches.

"Now read the spell" Sarah called out over the walkie.

Natalia pulled the slip of paper out and began to read it;

"candles of thee, green and white,  
bring protection here this night,  
the moon is full, the sky is clear,  
misfortune and evil disappear,  
the mighty wolf shall ever reign,  
and be protected from hair to bone,  
come hither, come hither,  
sprits of the wolf, strong and great,  
be guarded by this circle and thought out your life."

As she spoke the final words, her vision blurred….. _suddenly she saw two large wolves, one charcoal black, the other an oaky brown. They were standing in front of StoneHaven, hackles raised, growling as a line of wolves galloped towards them._

 _Two brightly burning figures flanked them, hurling bolts of fire and ice and power, knocking the oncoming wolves aside, red painting the snow._

 _Natalia had never felt such terror in her life._

 _Turning, she ran, faster than she had run ever before. Hearing a huffing noise and pounding footsteps behind her, she glanced over her shoulder, terror seizing her heart when she saw an enormous grey wolf chasing her._

 _She ran faster, if that was possible, but the wolf only increased its pace. It let out a howl, sending a chill down her spine. A moment later it lunged, knocking her to the ground. Her head slammed into the snowy ground, momentarily stunning her._

 _The wolf's hot breath roused her, and a moment later, its teeth bit, tearing the flesh and muscle of her shoulder. Natalia screamed in agony….it was never ending….until the wolf's weight was gone and she could roll over weakly and stare up at the sky._

 _As the snow fell, she felt nothing but pain…and then, suddenly it worsened; her spine feeling like someone had ripped her in two and set her on fire. Screaming…writhed in pain….._

The vision ended and Natalia found herself on her back, staring up at the sky, breathing heavily. Jeremy knelt by her side, concern and fear etched on his face. He reached out and touched her cheek softly, "Natalia, are you alright? What happened?" he asked worriedly.

Natalia's brow furrowed, "Did you…not see that?" she asked. She wasn't sure she believed in magic….but she didn't know how to explain what had just happened….unless she was just crazy.

Jeremy's face crumpled into confusion, "See what?" he asked softly. Had she seen the spell work? Had there been some sort of repercussion? Running his hand over her forehead gently, he stared down at her worried, "Are you ok?" he asked again.

Natalia sat up slowly, shaking. "I-I don't know. I think I just didn't eat enough…being out in the cold…I must have passed out." She wouldn't meet his eyes, and Jeremy was certain that there was more to the story.

Despite that, he nodded, "Okay, let's get you inside." He smiled gently and wrapped an arm around her waist, helping her into the house. He forced her into a chair at the kitchen table and quickly got her a plate of leftovers, making sure she was eating before going to speak with Sarah and Savannah.

They stood in the living room, talking softly. "I think Natalia saw something when the spell was initiated. Did you?" he asked them.

Sarah and Savannah shook their heads.

"We were all connected, we should have all seen a vision if she did. I don't understand…." Sarah trailed off. She looked over at Savannah and frowned.

Savannah sighed, "I'll talk to her, see if she did anything different, if she changed the spell, she might have initiated a vision." Sarah nodded, it was possible.

Jeremy paced, worried. They had used a spell of wolf protection, specifically because they were protecting against Mutts. What if the spell had revealed to Natalia the truth?

He would have to kill her.

He walked out to stare into the kitchen, watching as Natalia ate, her face pale and drawn. He could smell her fear, worry, and pain. She was so scared, and none of his lies could make it better.

A moment later, he heard the sound of tires on snow and turned, walking towards the front door. He inhaled deeply, sighing with relief when he recognized the scent.

Throwing the door open, he smiled warmly at Karl Marsten. "It's good to see you Karl" he said, reaching out to shake his hand.

Karl nodded, but his demeanor remained solemn. "We really need to move inside. They're coming."

Jeremy stepped aside, shutting the door behind them and locking it. "When?" he asked tersely.

Karl glanced around, "Now." He pointed to the doors and windows, "You'll need to lock up a bit tighter mate."

Jeremy stiffened and nodded, "We need to get to it. Can you start?" he asked.

Karl nodded, "Get your bird somewhere safe" he quipped.

Jeremy paused, and then nodded. He went to the kitchen and touched Natalia softly on the arm, "Natalia, I need you to trust me. Can you do that?" he asked.

She turned in her chair and stared at him, a whirlwind of emotions racing through her. Finally she nodded, "Why?" she asked softly.

Jeremy pulled her up out of the chair and up the stairs to the work room where he painted. He gently pushed on a panel in the wall and then stood back as it sighed, sliding aside. Natalia watched with wide eyes as a panic room was revealed.

"What the hell?" she muttered.

"It's for emergencies" Jeremy replied softly.

"No shit" she whispered.

Jeremy walked her in and she was surprised to see it was more spacious than she thought, with an attached bathroom. Jeremy showed her the security feeds of the house, and the food supplies. Last, he pulled out a trunk and showed her the guns that she could use if anyone managed to break into the panic room.

"They can't, not without my handprint. But, if they somehow realize it's here, and force me to let them in….use these. Got it?" he asked.

Natalia stared at the guns and then up at him, his expression deadly serious. In that moment she wanted to run away, get as far as possible from StoneHaven. Finally, she nodded.

"When this is over, we're done" she murmured. She watched as a pained expression crossed his face, and hid her own, swallowing it, burying it deep. No man worth being with would put her in this kind of danger.

"I understand" Jeremy whispered, avoiding her gaze.

They stood, not looking at each other for a long time, until Karl shouted up the stairs, "Oye! I could use a hand here Danvers!"

Jeremy startled and turned to look at Natalia, her expression one of loss, and pain. He wanted to hold her, make it all go away. But he knew how angry and hurt she was.

"I'm sorry Natalia. I never meant for any of this to happen. I only ever wanted to be with you, and to be happy. You've made me happier than I thought was possible." He spoke softly, watching her face, and when she didn't react he nodded and turned away to leave.

Her hand on his arm stopped him.

Natalia grabbed him and pulled him back, her hand winding through his hair, rising up on her toes to kiss him, desperately. Jeremy's arms wound around her waist, snaking up her back to pull her closer, pushing her gently back against the wall.

They kissed until they had no air left, until they had given each other everything, and when they broke apart, Natalia had tears streaming down her face. Turning away, she felt Jeremy behind her, his breath warm on her neck.

He stood that way for a long moment, aching to stay, to try and fix things, but knew he couldn't, there was no fixing this.

Taking a shaky breath, he whispered, "I'm sorry. I wish I could change things." He waited another moment and then backed away, his heart aching with the loss. Placing his hand on the wall outside the safe room, he watched Natalia's form until the door slid shut.

Standing outside it, he listened as she cried, heart wrenching sobs.

Turning away, he let the pain, anger and sadness settle in, galvanizing him for battle. When these Mutts showed up, they would find an Alpha hungry for battle, and eager to release some of his pent up emotions.

There would be no mercy.

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 _ **AN: Hey guys! I went back recently (8/18/2015 and edited all the chapters. Since multiple people were saying that Jeremy was acting OOC, I thought I would do some editing to try and fix that, and I think I've done a good job? lol I would hope that those of you who think that he was acting OOC could tolerate going back and re-reading and letting me know? This is something that's really bugging me, so if it still seems like he's OOC to you after the edits, then I guess we'll all just have to live with it, because I honestly don't know what else to add. Anyway, please review and let me know what you think!**_


	8. Once Bitten

_**AN: Hey all! I hope you enjoy this story and this chapter! Some songs that inspired/i listened to while writing are: Hozier's "In the Woods Somewhere" and "Arsonist's' Lullaby" They are both very dark, moody and I think fit this chapter very well. Also, if you've never listened to Hozier before, they are awesome songs to get introduced to him! Please review- i love hearing what you think! Thank you for reading!**_

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Jeremy ran down the stairs, his face stony, his anger rippling over him. Turning into the study, he found Karl standing with the two women, peering out the small crack in the steel shutters that they had drawn over the windows.

Karl turned and saw the face of his Alpha and a shudder ran through him; he knew there was a pent up rage that was only released when Jeremy was pushed- and something was pushing him. He saw grief and anger clearly written there, and knew it had something to do with the woman upstairs.

Whoever she was to Jeremy, she was causing his Alpha grief, and that was a distraction they couldn't afford right now.

Jeremy nodded sharply at him, "What's happening?" he asked.

Karl pointed to the window, "See for yourself" he murmured.

Jeremy stepped forward and peered out the window, his gut clenching when he saw the array of wolves spread out in the snow, all of them staring steadily at the front door of StoneHaven. Standing directly in their midst; Aleister.

Jeremy swore and shook his head, turning to Sarah and Savannah. "Can you fight him?" he asked, worried.

They exchanged a look and Savannah nodded. "I can."

Karl scoffed and Sarah glared at him, "She's the most powerful witch of our time. She can use left hand path magic without falling into the darkness. She has the power of a light witch, with the strength of a left hand path witch. She can stop Aleister."

Karl raised a brown but nodded, "If you say so. How are we supposed to fight two dozen Mutts Jeremy?" he asked.

Jeremy sighed and shook his head, "We can't. I may be Alpha, but the two of us can't take all of them on."

Sarah stepped closer, "You don't have to. The wardings we placed up will force any wolf that crosses them into the Change. They'll feel triple the normal pain and be incapacitated." She smiled smugly at Karl.

He frowned, "And what about us love? That sounds wildly unpleasant."

Jeremy nodded, "I agree, how are we supposed to fight if we can't cross the wards?" he asked.

Sarah smiled, "We can. Because we laid the spell down, it's tied to us. Karl, if you offer the altar a drop of your blood, it will be tied to you, and you will be able to cross it without consequence. But we should allow the wards to do their work; let the Mutts attack, and while they're incapacitated, we strike."

Jeremy stared at her for a moment and then nodded, "That makes sense. I'd like you both back away from the windows, stay in the main foyer, got it?" he ordered. The women nodded and made their way to the foyer, sitting down on the stairwell, holding hands and talking quietly.

Jeremy and Karl peered out the windows, watching as the Mutts paced, Aleister shouting at them. "This isn't going to be easy" Jeremy murmured.

Karl nodded, "We might not live through this" he muttered.

Jeremy frowned, "If I don't….If I were to…" he found himself unable to continue.

Karl sighed, "The woman upstairs?" he asked.

Jeremy nodded, staring out the window at the Mutts. "Get her to safety. Make sure she doesn't know about us, and get her out."

Karl closed his eyes and sighed. "I'll get her out."

He felt Jeremy's hand on his shoulder for a moment and then it was gone. A moment later they both turned, alert; an unearthly howl was going up amongst the Mutts. They had turned and were pacing, appearing as though they were contemplating attacking.

Jeremy and Karl shared a look before Jeremy ran to the basement, appearing back at Karl's side a few minutes later with a set of knives and a pack of zip ties. They would tie up those Mutts that Changed, and be prepared for anything else that Aleister threw at them.

They watched as Mutts began to run at the house, howling, snarling, and growling. When they hit the wards, there were yips and howls of pain, the Mutts dropping in groups as the Change began.

Jeremy and Karl exchanged a look before throwing the door open and running out, beginning to zip tie the hands of the Mutts behind their backs and dragging them over to the edge of the house. The other Mutts that had been running close on the heels of the first wave had slowed and were now nosing at the edge of the wards, whining and pawing at the snow.

A large cream colored wolf stepped closer and sniffed, hesitant to go forward.

Jeremy heard Aleister shout a word, and then heard the cream wolf whimper and groan with pain, shaking its head side to side, unwilling to go forward. Aleister repeated the word, louder this time and Jeremy smelled burning flesh and fur.

The wolf howled in pain and complied with what Jeremy could only assume was a command from Aleister. It trotted forward, past the wards, and howled in pain, dropping to the ground, beginning to undergo the Change.

Jeremy drug the wolf as it changed and zip tied the man's hands, putting him with the others. He stood next to Karl and stared at the 8 men they had on the ground; it was a small dent in the 24 that Aleister had originally brought.

A moment later, Jeremy heard Aleister as though the man was right in front of him and not 150 feet away. "Jeremy Danvers! Interfering again! This is growing tiresome. Hand over Savannah and I won't have to kill more of your precious Pack."

Jeremy growled low in his chest, he could hear the smugness in Aleister's voice, and it made him want to rip his throat out. He heard a noise behind him and turned slightly, seeing Sarah and Savannah stepping out onto the porch.

He glared and waved for them to get back into the house, but Savannah shook her head. She touched her throat and a moment later when she opened her mouth to speak, her voice was projected over the field of battle.

"Once more Aleister you've come for me? I'm of my own mind now and far stronger than you ever gave me credit for. You won't have an easy fight." She stepped forward and raised a hand towards the Mutts they had restrained.

The men were still moaning in pain from the Change, the spell prolonging the pain long after they had changed. Savannah pointed to the brand on their necks and spoke a word, concentrating her power until they glowed white hot and then brighter, and then were abruptly gone.

Jeremy lowered his hand, the white light was gone, and so were the marks on the Mutt's necks. Savannah turned back to face Aleister and pointed to the rest of the Mutts by his side, "I'm coming for them next."

Aleister grinned, "Very good Savannah. Your power is so much stronger than before. It's going to make taking it from you that much more satisfying."

Savannah's cheeks flamed and she made a violent hand motion-sending a wall of snow flying towards Aleister and the wolves. Had Aleister not countered, they would have been buried under a crushing wall of snow.

His mocking laugh drifted towards them, "Really Savannah? You can do better than that!" he called.

Savannah hissed and reached out to Sarah, joining hands with her. A moment later they began to chant, latin falling from their lips like water. Jeremy watched in awe as a cage of power began to weave around Aleister, shimmering and bright.

Aleister for his part seemed unconcerned.

Pointing to the house, he began to chant, and Jeremy felt a wracking pain hit him, ripping through his gut and slamming into his head. Doubling over, he managed to look over at Karl and saw he was in a similar state.

"S-Sarah! What's happening?!" he gasped.

She shook her head and continued to chant, ignoring him. As Aleister continued his spellwork, Jeremy's pain increased, driving him to his knees, blood dripping from his nose. Karl groaned and clutched his head, his vision swimming.

"SARAH! What is happening!?" Jeremy shouted through the pain.

Sarah broke off her chanting as Savannah continued, turning her head ever so slightly to look at him, "Aleister is tearing down the wards. It's tearing us down. Savannah and I are trying to cage him, but it's not working…."

Jeremy growled in pain and frustration, "Then do something else!" His head and body rang with pain, as though he were an anvil that had been struck repeatedly.

A mocking laugh rang out, "Yes Sarah! Try something else, because your feeble spell isn't working. Mine is. Your pathetic attempt at a ward will be torn down soon, and then my wolves will tear you to shreds." Aleister laughed and continued his magic, the pain on all of them increasing.

Savannah stopped chanting and wiped blood from the corner of her mouth, her eyes burning with anger. "We have to stop him. Jeremy and Karl can't take the all on."

Sarah was shaking with pain and power loss, "What do you suggest we do?" she whispered.

Savannah released her hands and turned to face Aleister, raising her left hand, "Not _we._ Me." She began to chant and after a moment Sarah stepped forward, laying a hand on her shoulder, channeling her remaining power to Savannah.

They stepped forward, towards the edge of the wards and Jeremy raised a hand to stop them, but dropped it as they stopped, Savannah reaching a hand out to scrawl words in some unknown language in the air.

The words burned and hung there for a moment before growing exponentially larger, and then they were as large as the house and disappeared. Aleister watched with mild shock and smiled at Savannah, "So, if I take down the wards, I'm stripped of my powers. Very clever."

He paused for a moment and then began to murmur; Jeremy once again felt pain ripple through him at the words. Turning to Savannah, Jeremy managed to gasp out, "Why isn't he stopping?"

Savannah shook her head, "I don't know…he must think that he can withstand the spell somehow…ah!" she cried out as Aleister continued his spell, grabbing her abdomen, feeling as though it was on fire.

Savannah cast her left hand out and began to murmur spells, her voice shaky with pain. She fought back against Aleister, feeling her bones aching with the power of the spells. Her voice steadily grew louder, until she was shouting, Aleister matching her in volume.

Jeremy and Karl were on the ground, writhing in pain, nearly incoherent. The wind swirled wildly, blowing snow into their faces; Savannah and Aleister's voices howling.

With a scream, the snow blew so hard it blocked out all sight, a wall of white, and all Jeremy could see was white, all he could hear was the wind howling, the voices screaming at such a pitch it terrified him.

The pressure in the air grew until it was unbearable; Jeremy clutched his head, hearing voices, screaming in pain.

Silence

The snow dropped to the ground in an instant, the wind dying, the voices gone.

Time seemed to stop, and they all lay still as though dead for a very long time.

Finally, Jeremy stirred and rose up painfully on one arm, peering over at the crumpled forms of the witches. He could hear their hearts beating, and saw their chests rising and felt relief to know they were alive…whether they would wake, he had no idea.

Struggling to his knees, he crawled over to Karl and shook him gently, "Karl…Karl" he whispered, his voice raspy from shouting. Karl groaned and his eyes fluttered open, pain piercing through his skull as he did.

"Oh fuck…wha- what happened?" Karl muttered as he sat up.

Jeremy shook his head, "I don't know. Witches. Magic." He muttered. Karl nodded and took Jeremy's arm, helping each other to stand, unsteadily and painfully. The men surveyed the area, shocked to see all the wolves laid out on the ground, Aleister as well.

They went over to the women and knelt, rousing them gently. Karl helped Sarah to stand, his arm strong around her waist, her head on his shoulder. Savannah leaned against Jeremy, wiping blood off her nose and chin.

"The wards are gone. But Aleister's magic should be as well. I fought him to protect us. I'm sorry it was so bad" she whispered.

Jeremy brushed a hand across her head softly, smiling, "You were amazing Savannah, don't apologize." He looked across the yard to where the wolves were beginning to stir and frowned, "We need to get inside, we don't want to be out here when they attack."

Sarah and Savannah nodded, limping as they went inside. Jeremy and Karl drug their captives inside and locked them in the basement, securing them tightly. They hurriedly began securing the house again, locking doors and pulling steel shutters down over the windows.

As they worked, they heard the growls and howls of the wolves carried on the wind.

Jeremy looked out the window and cursed, "Aleister is up on his feet." He looked over at Savannah, "You're sure his magic is gone?" he asked.

Savannah nodded, "There's no way he has anything left." She looked worried though.

Soon the howling of the wolves outside grew louder, and Jeremy watched as they circled, preparing to attack. He pushed the hair back from his face, sweating despite the cold, his body in pain. He listened hard and finally heard the steady heartbeat of Natalia, her slow even breathing telling him she was passed out, unconscious.

He hadn't had a moment to think of her until now, and a spasm of guilt went through him for that. She must have been so scared; the unknown pain attacking her from nowhere.

There was little he could do for her now though; he had to concentrate on keeping them all alive.

Turning to Sarah and Savannah he frowned, "Can you do anything to stop them from getting in?" he asked.

Sarah shook her head, "I'm drained, I have no energy left."

Savannah sighed wearily, "I barely have anything left. I need to save what little power I have for when Aleister is closer." Jeremy nodded, that made sense. Casting power over long distance would take more energy. It would be dangerous to let him get close, but he wouldn't risk Savannah's life by having her overextend herself.

Jeremy went to a cabinet and opened it, pulling out a Viking war hammer and a double headed axe. Holding out the axe to Karl he handed the smaller hammer to Sarah, "You'll need this." He offered it to her with a weary smile.

She took it with a grunt, weighing its heft and nodded, "Thank you."

Jeremy nodded, "You and Karl should take the back. Savannah and I will be at the front. Stay alive, got it?" he ordered.

They all nodded at him and there was a long moment of silence that was only punctuated by the howls of the Mutts outside. After a moment they separated and went to their posts, standing in tense silence.

Savannah reached out and took Jeremy's hand and he could sense her fear, her small hand trembling in his. He smiled down at her, "It's going to be ok" he murmured.

Savannah sighed, "I hope so."

A moment later they heard the sound of the wolves running through the snow, howling. Moments later the windows and the walls shuddered as the wolves threw themselves against the house. Savannah's hand tightened reflexively against Jeremy's and he smiled tightly at her, "Stay behind me if any get through."

She nodded and stepped back, hiding behind the large wooden carving in the foyer. The howling intensified and the windows shuddered as the Mutts pawed and clawed at them, desperate to get inside and seek vengeance.

Jeremy felt the itch of the Change and pushed it down for a moment, then changed his mind and turned to Savannah, "I'm going to change. Stay here" he ordered. She nodded and watched as he walked into the study, a few moments later hearing growling and moaning as he changed.

Short minutes later he emerged as a large brown wolf, black ridging along his back. He pressed up against her side and panted happily when she ran her fingers through his fur. When the window in the study shuddered, the wood paneling covering it cracking, he spun and went to stand in front of it, a low growl escaping him.

He could smell two wolves, pawing and biting at the window, and a moment later they ripped the frame apart, their paws shattering the glass, sending it scattering across the floor. They would be inside within moments.

When one wolf's head broke through, wriggling its way in, he grabbed it by the neck, his teeth sinking in deeply, blood welling around them. Shaking the Mutt ferociously, he stepped on the body and shook it again until the neck snapped with a sickening sound.

Tossing the body aside, he leapt over to the window and grabbed the other Mutt working its way into the house. He had seen what had happened to his companion and worked fiercely to throw Jeremy off, freeing himself.

The Mutt circled Jeremy, growling and panting in pain from its wounds. It lunged at Jeremy, snapping and trying to bring him down. Jeremy knocked him aside and latched on to his leg, neatly snapping the bone before knocking him down.

The Mutt howled and whined in pain, but lay incapacitated. Jeremy turned to the window where more wolves were trying to crawl through.

He continued to fight them off, his wounds growing, but the number of dead or seriously injured Mutts grew too. He could hear Karl and Sarah fighting them in the back of the house, and was grateful they were still alive, though for how long they could hold out, he didn't know.

His own injuries were slowing him down, and he was growing weary. The Mutt he was battling now was larger than him and was faster too…he yelped as the wolf bit his leg, dragging him to the ground. The Mutt stood over him, preparing to rip his throat out when out of nowhere Savannah appeared behind it, a hammer in her hand.

Where she had gotten it Jeremy didn't know, but when she smashed it into the side of the Mutt's head and kept hitting it until it was a limp heap on the floor, he was grateful. He rose from the ground, his leg shaking, and nudged her hand, he could feel it trembling as she stroked his head.

There were no more Mutts trying to come through the window…he couldn't smell anymore outside either. He nudged Savannah and nodded his head towards the back of the house, sending her back to see if the others were ok.

She came back a few moments later and crouched beside him, running her fingers over his head, "They're ok. Karl is injured too, but not badly. Sarah has some scratches, but is alright. There's no one attacking, which frankly worries me. I think Aleister is coming now." She sounded scared.

Jeremy bobbed his head, he thought so too. Aleister would attack the house with whatever force he had remaining, and they would have a fight to the death on their hands. He sighed a deep, pained sigh and pushed at her, shoving her out to the foyer.

He went into the study and groaned, letting the Change take him again, undoing the process, becoming human again. He dressed quickly, wincing as his injuries protested. Limping out to the foyer he smiled painfully at Savannah and reached out, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he asked roughly.

She nodded and pointed towards the front door, which was shuddering. Jeremy sniffed; he could smell Mutts, fighting to get in. Why they weren't using the hole in the window, he didn't know. Probably because Aleister didn't want to crawl through a window.

Karl and Sarah came running into the foyer, hearing the pounding at the door increase. Karl nodded, "Good to see you're alive mate."

Jeremy barely smiled, "Hardly feels like it."

A moment later the door shuddered and bowed. They all backed away from the door, weapons at the ready, nerves taut and emotions high.

When the door blasted open, sending wood particles flying, they winced and waited for the Mutts to attack.

After a moment, there was no attack, only silence. Jeremy peered towards the door and saw the Mutts backing away, and Aleister walking forward.

"Shit" he murmured.

Aleister stood in the doorway, grinning madly. "Well, hello. I'm pleased to see you're all alive. It'll make this all so much more fun."

Jeremy stepped forward, "Leave now Aleister. If you don't, you'll find only death."

Aleister laughed and stepped forward, into the house, grinning when Sarah and Karl raised their weapons. "I'd like to see that."

Two wolves flanked him, snarling quietly. Jeremy stepped closer, "Get out of my house Aleister, now" he growled.

The wolves lunged, attacking him and Karl, locking them in battle, snarling and growling while they ripped and tore at each other. Jeremy roared in pain when the Mutt latched onto his thigh, blood welling.

He slammed his fist into the wolf's head, ripping him off and then slamming it into the ground, pulling his knife out to stab it in the heart, ending his life quickly.

Karl lay on the ground, under the body of the dead Mutt, unconscious. Jeremy could barely stand; blood flowed freely from his leg, draining the life from him.

Aleister smiled, "You're not looking so hot there Danvers." He walked over and pulled a knife out, lunging at Jeremy, slashing him across the chest.

Two other wolves entered the house, circling Sarah and Savannah, keeping them from moving to stop him. They watched in horror as Jeremy and Aleister went back and forth, trading blows and cuts, Jeremy barely able to match Aleister.

His strength was failing, he could feel it. He had too many open wounds, too many fractures, too many bruises.

Aleister kicked his injured leg, sending Jeremy sprawling to the floor. He lay there, bleeding and waiting to die.

Sarah spun into action, swinging her hammer and smashing a wolf in the face, just as Savannah hit the other with her hammer. They worked together to knock the wolves into submission and turned to Aleister who was watching them with mild interest.

"Well, you certainly have learned some new skills from these wolves. But I think it's time for you to stop." He waved his hand at them and his face registered surprise when his magic met a barrier.

Savannah grinned, "I knew you had reserved some magic. So did I. You taught me never to go into battle with all my power at the ready. To always lay some back. Well, now you have to fight fair Aleister."

She raised her hand and began to chant, her power flowing over Aleister. His eyes widened as he realized what she was doing.

She was tying his life force and his magic to the foundation of the house. If he tried to use his magic, it would drain him, kill him.

If he left the house, it would drain his magic, kill him. He was screwed either way.

Aleister panicked, grabbing for the amulet at his neck, ripping it and tossing it away, hoping it would end the anchoring spell. Savannah laughed, "That's not going to help Aleister. It's spelled to who you are. To the magic that ran through me that was yours that tainted me. You. Are. Mine. Now."

Aleister grinned evilly and out of nowhere, threw the knife in his hand, burying it in Savannah's chest. She gasped, her spell halting. Aleister felt the bonds holding him there and preventing him from safely using magic slip away.

Running out the door, he whistled and waved to the three Mutts outside, "Kill them!"he shouted, running towards the road, and the car waiting there. They howled and ran towards the open door, ready to destroy.

Sarah stood over Savannah, Jeremy and Karl had struggled to their feet. The wounded trio watched as the wolves bounded towards them, preparing themselves for the inevitable.

A moment later the sound of a shotgun blasted through the air, and Jeremy watched as one of the Mutts rolled, the blast knocking him over. The two other wolves, slowed, and the gun blasted again, knocking another down. The third wolf howled and ran faster, barreling through the front door, attacking Jeremy and Karl.

They fought it, punching, slashing with knives and hitting it with the hammer, but it was huge, and wouldn't go down.

Natalia stood on the landing, the shotgun in her hands, tracking the wolf. She had woken in the safe room, her body wracked with pain, knowing that something was terribly wrong.

She had opened the trunk and taken a shotgun out, loading it, and then a handgun, loading it too; grateful that her nonno, her grandfather had shown her how to handle guns, had shown her how to hunt.

When she had opened the safe room and had come down the stairs and seen the wolves fighting with Jeremy and the other man, Karl, she had recalled her vision, and had felt an icy wave of horror.

Now she watched in terror as the last wolf battled with Jeremy and Karl, ripping and tearing at them, leaving them in bloody shreds.

When Karl fell, leaving only Jeremy standing, she raised the handgun, her hands steady. Jeremy stood in the way of her having a clear shot. She waited, watching as the man and wolf circled each other.

When the wolf turned towards her, she raised the gun and fired, hitting it squarely in the shoulder, knocking it to the ground.

Jeremy stilled and watched the wolf fall, and then turned, knowing who it was on the stairs, but still unable to believe it when he saw Natalia with a gun in her hands. He smiled at her, a weary, pained smile, but one that was filled with gratitude and happiness.

A moment later his eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed to the ground, his head hitting with a sickening thump. Natalia dropped her gun and ran over, dropping to her knees, gathering his head in her lap.

He had cuts all over his face, his chest, arms, legs; and all were bleeding profusely. She brushed back his bloody hair and tried not to cry, knowing he was in far more pain than she was feeling. "Jeremy….Jeremy, come on. Wake up" she whispered.

She rubbed her thumb over his cheek, murmuring softly, "Jeremy Danvers, you need to wake up right now. If you don't, I will go upstairs and take all of your paintings and set them on fire."

When his eyelids fluttered and his throat worked her grasp on him tightened, and she whispered, "Come on Jeremy, I mean it, I will go set all of them on fire."

He coughed and his eyes cracked open, "D-don't do that. You-you need them for the showing." His voice was barely above a whisper.

Natalia's eyes filled with tears and she nodded, "Okay, but you have to stay awake, got it?" she ordered, her voice rough with emotion.

Jeremy barely nodded, a ghost of a smile on his lips, his face pale. Sarah knelt next to Savannah, murmuring quietly as she pulled the knife out of her chest. Savannah's face was deathly pale, but she had just enough power left to channel it to Sarah, giving her the ability to heal her.

Sarah chanted the words, laying her hands on Savannah's chest, feeling the power stream out of her, giving some of her life force to the spell to ensure that it worked. It took years off her life, but it was worth it to know that Savannah would live.

Karl groaned from his position on the floor and twitched, pain in every line of his body. He was barely able to move, but he forced himself to roll over and saw his Alpha, in just as poor of a condition as he was in.

"We need to get him up to the infirmary" he ground out, his words barely a whisper. The woman, Natalia, turned and stared at him a moment before nodding. She looked over at Sarah, "Can you get Savannah up?" she asked.

Sarah nodded and lifted the young girl easily. Karl stood, slowly and painfully, groaning loudly. He pointed to the ceiling, "It's on the top floor, end of the hallway. Big blue door."

Natalia nodded, remembering seeing it. Sarah and Savannah were already starting up the stairs, Karl slowly following. Natalia wrapped her arm around Jeremy's waist, "Okay come on, I need you to help me" she whispered.

Jeremy nodded, his eyes barely open. He staggered, getting his feet under him, and took unsteady steps forward, Natalia's arm around his waist, guiding him. His hand found the banister, gripping it tightly.

They were three steps up the stairs when Natalia heard a noise behind them, and when she turned her head to look, saw the wolf on the floor stirring. Her heart froze and she gripped Jeremy tighter.

"Move. FASTER." She urged, taking larger steps, half dragging him.

Jeremy gasped at the pain her actions caused, "Why? Why faster?" he asked.

Natalia glanced over her shoulder and saw the wolf sway to its feet. "Because I said so."

They reached the first small landing and Natalia felt her heart beat faster, her breath come in rapid pants. They would never make it. She stopped and leaned down, setting Jeremy down on the stairs. "Stay here" she whispered.

Jeremy looked up at her and then down the stairs, seeing the wolf, and grabbed her hand, "No! You can't! Run upstairs!" his voice was strong and urgent now, fear making him strong.

Natalia gave him a brave smile, "It'll be ok. It's wounded. I can get to my gun and kill it before it has a chance to attack." Jeremy grabbed her arm, trying to stop her, but she shook him off, looking down the stairs down to where her gun was, on the floor, just feet from where the wolf was.

Moving slowly, cautiously, she took the stairs one at a time until she was just a foot away from the gun, the wolf staring her down. She slowly lowered her hand, reaching for the gun, retreating when the wolf growled, stepping closer.

"Shit" she whispered.

She crouched, waiting for it to move, her heart pounding. She would either have to lunge and grab the gun and take the chance, or wait and see if it would attack. Either were terrible options.

When the wolf growled and bared its teeth, stepping closer, she made a decision.

Lunging forward, she grabbed the gun and rolled onto the foyer floor, away from the wolf as it lunged towards the stairs. She fired wildly, missing.

The wolf pivoted and came at her, teeth snapping, growling. Natalia raised the gun and fired, missing again. Swearing she continued to fire as it lunged, gaining on her.

She could hear Jeremy shouting, but the words were lost in the fray.

When the wolf landed on top of her, its hot breath in her face, she fired, the bullets biting into its flesh. It howled, long and loud, a screaming sound, angry and pained.

When it stopped, looking down at her, she swore it looked angry, a pure human rage. Terror poured into Natalia, and she knew without a doubt she was about to die.

When the wolf bit her shoulder and neck, just like in her vision, overwhelming pain ripping through her, her finger pulled the trigger again, firing another shot into the wolf. It shuddered and ripped at her body.

Natalia screamed and moaned, praying it would be over soon. Her vision was fading as the blood welled out of the wound.

There was a loud blast, and a moment later the weight on top of her was gone. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw the wooden paneling of the ceiling…then darkness as her eyes drifted closed…so much pain…she was so cold…

Jeremy drug himself over to Natalia, pulling her head into his lap, ripping his waistcoat off to staunch the bleeding. Tears ran freely down his face, "Natalia…please open your eyes! Please!" he begged, his voice ragged.

Natalia groaned and her eyes fluttered open, "J-Jeremy…it hurts…"she whimpered, "P-please…it hurts."

Jeremy nodded, "I know. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

A moment later he heard footsteps on the stairs and Karl knelt beside him, drawing in a sharp breath. "We have to get her upstairs" Jeremy ordered. Karl nodded and helped him lift her, murmuring his apologies when Natalia cried out.

They carried her gently up to the infirmary and laid her down on the bed, Jeremy cutting off her shirt so he could begin to stitch her wounds. His hands shook so badly he could barely get started, and the tears that were in his eyes blinded him.

Karl took the needle, "I got this mate. I'll take care of her." He nodded at Jeremy when he stared up at him, patting him gently on the shoulder.

Jeremy moved to sit by her other side, holding her hand while Karl stitched her wounds rapidly. As he finished, he turned to Jeremy, "Let me take care of yours too" he offered.

Jeremy shook his head, "No. I need to get her down to the cage. If she's going to turn…." He couldn't continue. He picked her up, carrying her down the stairs and into the basement.

Setting her down on the cot, he stepped back and locked the cage doors. Only one woman had survived the turn with her sanity. He prayed that he could get Natalia through this.

It was entirely his fault she was in this situation…if she died…he would never forgive himself, and he didn't think StoneHaven could survive the fallout of her death. They would all have to go into hiding. It would be the end of his family.

He had to make sure she survived, for him, for his family, and for her; he couldn't let her die-she was an innocent woman who had been dragged into the violence of his world, and deserved far better.

Jeremy sank into the chair by the cage and began his long watch.


	9. Twice Shy

_**AN: Hey guys! Only one chapter left! I really hope you have enjoyed the story!** **I really appreciate your feedback!** **Please review- it really makes my day and I love reading them! Thank you all for reading!**_

* * *

Karl finally convinced Jeremy to let him treat his wounds, stitching up the numerous bites and scratches, giving him a shot of morphine for the pain. Sarah had stitched up Karl's wounds, and was watching over Savannah.

Karl had moved their captive Mutts to a deeper part of the basement, away from Natalia and Jeremy, and had come back, sitting quietly with his Alpha.

Natalia hadn't stirred in hours, worrying Karl. Normally the Change began quickly, but he wondered if perhaps the painkillers that they had given her had slowed it…

When they both heard stirring noises from within the cage, Karl and Jeremy stood, peering in to see her moving restlessly, waking.

Natalia moaned in pain, rolling into a fetal position, wrapping her arms around her waist. Everything hurt…her whole body felt like it was on fire…the fire was spreading from her shoulder, where she had been bitten…was it rabies?

Is this what dying felt like?

Moaning, her body spasmed, a scream tearing out of her.

"Natalia! Listen to me! Look at me!" Jeremy yelled.

Natalia screamed with the pain and arched on the bed, her fingernails splitting and growing, ripping the worn mattress. She sobbed and shook her head, what kind of hell was this?

"Natalia! LOOK. AT. ME!" Jeremy shouted.

She turned her head, her eyes slits, barely open. Jeremy nodded, "This is bad, I know. But what is coming, is worse. You have to be strong, stronger than you've ever been. Do you understand?"

Natalia shook her head no, she understood nothing. She only understood the pain.

Jeremy sighed, frustrated, "Natalia, those wolves you saw. They weren't just wolves. They were people. People who can turn into wolves. Do you understand?"

Natalia cried out in pain, her skull felt like it would split open…she wished it would…she didn't want to feel this pain…werewolves? That would explain the odd behavior of the wolves…

She screamed, her back arching, hearing her bones crack and scrape against each other. Jeremy ran over and knelt, "Natalia, you have to let the pain work through you. Embrace it, accept it. You were bit, which means you are going to change into one of us. If you accept it, you will live. Do you hear me?"

Natalia sobbed as her body cracked and groaned, dropping off the cot. She nodded, "I…hear…you" she gasped.

She didn't speak again for hours. Her screams of agony tore through Jeremy, leaving him raw, his grip on the bars so tight, his knuckles were white.

At one point she nearly passed out, but Jeremy roused her, shouting her name, forcing her to breathe through the pain, watching with tears in his eyes as she writhed and screamed, her body completing the transformation.

Natalia lay on the floor of the cell, panting in exhaustion. She was a dark wolf, chocolaty brown fur with tawny highlights, her brown eyes sliding shut as she slid into unconsciousness. Jeremy sank to the floor, exhaustion filling his limbs, his body shaking.

She would have to return to herself….but she had lived.

A faint smile crossed his lips and he looked up at Karl, "She made it" he whispered. Karl nodded, impressed that the woman had survived, but worried about the consequences.

"I'll go check on the women" Karl murmured. Jeremy nodded and turned his attention back to Natalia, watching her, praying that she would survive her change back to her human form.

* * *

Hours later, Jeremy stirred, his head lifting from the bars of the cage. He had heard a noise, and when he looked into the cage, he saw that Natalia was changing back into her human form. It seemed much less painful, and was infinitely faster than the first Change.

When she was fully back to her human self he unlocked the cage and stepped in, kneeling down beside her. He reached out and gently touched her shoulder, drawing his hand back when she scuttled back away from him, her eyes wild.

Jeremy raised his hands, "Shh it's ok, it's me…It's Jeremy" he whispered.

Her eyes burned with anger, "I know who you fucking are. It's your fault I'm a monster" she yelled.

Jeremy rocked back on his heels, all of his fears realized. "You're not a monster. You're just different now."

Natalia laughed bitterly. "Different? I'm not human anymore. That's way off the charts of _different_. How the fuck am I supposed to live my life now?" she demanded.

Jeremy nodded, "You're right. You aren't human anymore, but it isn't the end of your life. I can show you how to live, how to survive as a wolf."

Natalia made a noise of disgust. "I don't want to know. I certainly don't want you in my life anymore. I told you before, we're done."

Jeremy felt like a knife had been shoved into his heart, but nodded. "Fine. Just know that by refusing my help, and refusing to be part of the Pack, you'll be a Mutt. You aren't allowed to reside any one place for more than a year, or a member of the Pack will come and run you off. You should allow the Change to happen once a week, go for a run at night where no one can see you, and make sure you eat enough. Don't come back here unless you want to be part of the Pack."

He stood and stared at her coldly, then turned away, listening as she dressed. All of his dreams, his hopes for how things could have turned out between them, this was not how he would have ever imagined it ending.

Natalia walked out of the cage and brushed past him; able to smell him and the other people in the house; hear every breath they all took, their heartbeats…it was overwhelming.

She felt him right behind her as she walked up the stairs, and felt surprise when she saw that it was mid day out. It had been approaching dark when she had come out of the safe room, which meant that the process for her to turn into a wolf and back again had been nearly 12 hours.

Sighing she turned to Jeremy, "I'm going to get my things and then I'm leaving. Will you please call a taxi to take me into town?" she asked.

Jeremy nodded, walking into the study and dialing the number for the local taxi company. They estimated their arrival time to be another half an hour. He thanked them and hung up, dropping into his chair with a heavy sigh.

He listened as Natalia spoke softly with Sarah and Savannah. "Hey Savannah, how are you feeling?" she asked softly.

"Not too bad, how about you?" the younger girl asked.

"I've been better. Thank you for protecting us. You were amazing" Natalia murmured.

"I'm sorry you were hurt" Sarah said softly.

"It's not your fault" Natalia said quietly, her voice hard.

"It's not Jeremy's either love" Karl cut in.

"Don't lie. This is your life, this violence. He warned me that his family had secrets. This was one of them. I should have listened. I should never have stayed here." She scoffed, "I'll be leaving and I won't ever have to see you again."

Jeremy heard her pick her bags up, "Goodbye" she murmured. A moment later he heard her come down the stairs, then pause, and set her bags down. He listened as she pulled on her coat and then her soft footsteps carried her into the study.

When she stood before his desk he looked up, his face weary and lined. She stared at him, cold and angry. "I don't want to hear from you ever again. But my gallery will still want your paintings. So if you want to work with them, here's the number."

She tossed the card for the gallery onto the desk and turned, pausing when he spoke, "I won't. I'll leave you alone." She nodded and then walked away, picking up her bags and walking out the ruined front door, out of his life.

Jeremy listened until he heard her get in the taxi, drive away, and then heard nothing, but the blowing wind….

* * *

A year later Natalia sat on the small patio of her ocean side villa, inhaling the sea scent, enjoying the cool breeze. She watched the waves crashing below and felt a sense of peace, of happiness. This was the only place she had found the feeling and her existence wasn't known by the Packs of Europe, or anywhere else for that matter.

Since her change she had been moving all across North America, then Europe, until she finally settled in Mazara del Vallo in the very south of Italy. She had so far avoided detection by running at night, and running along the coastline, staying within the trees.

She had learned how to deal with her new appetite, eating enough to keep herself strong, and running enough to keep the change in check. She limited her social interactions, and told her parents that she was travelling for work.

The gallery that she had worked for in New York City had agreed to let her travel, on the condition that she only work with them if she found new artists. Whenever she found new works, she alerted them, and they sent a broker out, giving her a large percentage of the fee.

Thus, she was able to continue moving around without gaining attention from the Packs, keeping her secret safe.

When she came back from the beach that afternoon, breathless and smiling, wiping the sand and water from her face, she paused, inhaling deeply, smelling an unfamiliar scent at her doorstep.

She slowed her steps and inhaled again; trying to identify who it was….but could only tell that whoever had been there was male…and a wolf. As she ran up the stairs to her front door she felt her heart beat increase, unease settling in.

She came to a sudden halt, staring at the large package leaning against the wall by her front door. The smell was stronger surrounding the package, and she hesitated, recognizing it from StoneHaven. It wasn't Jeremy…but it had lingered there as well.

She stared at the card attached; already knowing who it was from. She considered dragging it down to the trash and setting it on fire, but a part of her couldn't stomach the idea.

Unlocking her front door, she grabbed the edge of the package and drug it inside, pulling the card off, opening it and sitting down on her small couch to read it.

 _Natalia, I hope this finds you well. Please do not be alarmed, I am not letting the Pack in Rome know of your location, or your status as a wolf. My best friend, Anthony's son, Nick was in Italy, and I asked him to find you, knowing that you would settle there. Please accept this painting, your painting, as an apology. I know it's nothing close to what I owe you for what happened, but please know how profoundly sorry I am, and that I never wished for this to have happened. I only ever wanted you to be happy and well. I only wish the same now._

 _Yours, always,_

 _Jeremy Danvers_

Sighing, she dropped the card into her lap and ran her hands over her face, suddenly exhausted. Part of her wanted to pack up and run a very large part of her in fact, but she knew that Jeremy was as good as his word; he wouldn't alert the Roman Pack to her whereabouts or her status.

Standing, she pulled the painting over and began to pull the wrapping off, slowly, her breath catching in her throat as the painting was revealed. When it was bare, she leaned back and sighed, her heart aching with longing, sadness, and a pain she had pushed down for so long she had refused to acknowledge it even existed.

She sat there staring at the painting for a very long time, eventually pouring a glass of wine, the sun slowly setting, her living room awash in fiery reds and glowing oranges, complimenting the colors of the painting and setting her heart on fire.

As the villa grew dark and her mind grew busier and busier she gathered her things, preparing for a run. Walking silently through the sand she hiked up the hills into the woods and found the nook where she usually hid her clothes, stripping quickly and letting the Change take over.

When she was sprinting through the woods, panting, she felt her heart lighten, the heavy emotions from earlier falling away. She slowed, hearing a sound, and her head turned towards the beach.

She paused, sniffing, and smelled terror, pure and bitter. Huffing, Natalia stepped closer to the edge of the tree line, her nose poking through as she peered out at the beach.

A scream pierced the night, and then was cut short.

Natalia's head whipped towards the sound, and she saw a man on the beach, crouched over the form of woman, a shiny object in his hand. She smelled blood…and fear…heard a heartbeat that was fading.

Natalia hesitated for half a moment and then charged down the beach, growling loudly at the man. His head came up, and she was able to see the small form of the woman he had trapped beneath him.

Running faster, she closed the distance quickly and barreled into him, knocking him off the woman. She pinned him to the ground, preventing him from rising, and snarled, smelling his raw fear, pungent and bright.

She fought the urge to rip his throat out…it was forbidden to kill humans.

She chose instead to step onto his throat, holding him down until he passed out. When he was unconscious, she stepped away and trotted over to the woman, nudging her and whining softly.

The man had cut her throat, but not so badly that she would die, if Natalia acted quickly. In her wolf form, she couldn't help her. Whining in frustration, she turned and ran back to the woods, to her clothes and changed back, getting dressed, and ran faster than she ever had before, back to the woman.

Pulling her cell phone out, she called the police, telling them that she had been on a late run and had found a wounded woman, send help.

She pulled her shirt off and staunched the wound, cradling the woman's head gently, waiting for the ambulance and the police to arrive. A short time later the wailing of the sirens grew louder and she soon heard the sound of the police crashing through the underbrush.

The police found the woman on the beach, her wound tied off, and the man next to her was hog tied with vines from the woods.

The caller from 911 was nowhere to be seen. The large dog prints in the sand were chalked up to the fact that it was a public beach, and no comment was made on it.

Natalia packed her belongings and sent a check for her lease, moving out in the middle of the night.

* * *

She moved on to Ireland, settling down in a small cottage in a remote village. The people were friendly, but let her keep to herself.

When she unpacked the painting one afternoon as it rained softly she sat on the soft carpet and stared at it, the fireplace crackling behind her. As always, the painting left her yearning, feeling as though she was missing something.

Shaking her head, she lifted the painting and hung it over the fireplace, nodding, it was perfect.

There was a sound at the front door and she tilted her head, listening. After a moment she smiled and went to open it, grinning when she found a young boy standing there, drenched by the rain.

"Hey Desmond, you ready for your lesson?" she asked. He nodded and stepped inside, setting his backpack down to tug off his dripping raincoat.

Natalia had put out a notice in the local paper when she arrived as a tutor for math, English, and art. She had heard back after a week, Desmond being her first student in Art and English. She had two more, and had a steady stream of income, without drawing too much notice to herself.

For the next hour and half they worked on his English papers, and his Art homework-Natalia helping him with his drawing, encouraging his natural talent. When their time was up she walked Desmond to the door and was surprised when the young man hugged her, "Thank ye mum" he murmured.

Natalia chuckled, "What for Desmond?" she asked softly, patting his back.

"For helping me ta get better grades and ta get me mum off me back. She was angry at me summthin awful." He grinned at her.

Natalia laughed, "Well, I'm happy to help. Make sure you keep up with your drawing, you have talent, ok?" Desmond nodded. Natalia smiled, "Okay then, let's get you home so your mum isn't worried."

Desmond pulled on his raincoat and smiled up at her as she pulled the door open. Natalia sighed as she opened the door; it was raining harder than before. "Pull your hood up Desmond; you don't want to get soaked."

He nodded and tugged it up, waving to her as he trotted down the narrow pathway, the misty evening growing dark.

Natalia watched him go and then turned back inside, feeling a stab of loneliness. She poured herself a glass of wine and heated up a plate of lasagna, turning on the tv to a rerun of a crime procedural, quickly getting lost in the drama.

As the evening wore on, she grew tired, the wine wearing her down. She eventually nodded off, head pillowed on her arms, the tv still playing.

Hours later when the glass door on her patio splintered, sending glass spilling over the hardwood floor, Natalia awoke instantly, springing into a crouch, head swiveling to see what had caused the damage. When she saw the large wolf standing outside her door, creamy white, still as a statue despite the storm raging around it, she felt a growl bubble up in her chest.

The wind shifted and she caught the scent of the wolf…. _female?!_ There were no female wolves…except her and Elena, Jeremy's daughter-in-law. Natalia rose from her crouch ever so slightly, "Elena?" she called out over the wind.

The wolf nodded, taking a step forward. Natalia held up a hand, "Wait. Let me get the glass." She ran to get the broom, sweeping up the glass quickly before she waved, "Hurry inside, you're getting drenched."

Elena shook off and ran inside, waiting while Natalia dumped the glass in the trash. Pointing down the hall Natalia wiped her hands off, "My bedroom and bathroom are down there. Please feel free to borrow some clothes."

Elena nodded and trotted down the hall. While she was gone, Natalia grabbed plastic bags out and began taping them over the hole in the door. A few minutes later Elena came out, tying her hair back, "Can I give you a hand with that?" she asked softly.

Natalia nodded, "That would be great. Thank you." They worked in silence, covering the hole, sealing it well. When they were done Natalia stepped back and stared at Elena, wondering how she had found her, wondering why she was there.

Elena tugged on her shirt nervously, "I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here. I'm sorry I startled you. I didn't break your door, the branch from that tree fell." She pointed and smiled weakly. Natalia nodded, leaning against the kitchen counter, still not saying anything.

Elena sighed, "Jeremy didn't send me. I came…" she sighed and ran a hand through her hair, tugging it out of her ponytail. "I came because he's so unhappy that nothing can bring him happiness anymore. Not even Logan's baby, or the baby that Clay and I are having."

Natalia raised a brow, surprised. Elena smiled softly and walked over into the light were Natalia could see the gentle swell of her stomach. Elena took her hand and placed it on her stomach, "You can't feel it yet, but it's in there. And Jeremy hardly cares."

Natalia smiled, "I'm pleased for you." Her smile faded, "But it's not my job to care about Jeremy. My life is what it is because of him."

Elena nodded, "I understand. I felt exactly like you did for a very long time. I _hated_ Clay for what he did to me, and I was head over heels in love with him before he bit me, and after that, I could barely stand to look at him, let alone be in a room with him. It was only after Jeremy explained what really happened that our wounds as a couple healed, and as a family."

Natalia sighed, "But that's just it, there's nothing he can say. If I hadn't stayed, if I had just left him, if he hadn't…."her breath hitched and she looked away, "If he hadn't loved me the way he did, I wouldn't have been hurt. I wouldn't have been changed."

Elena nodded, "If he didn't love you, you probably would have died." Natalia turned to stare at her, eyes wide. Elena smiled sadly at her, "I'm the only other woman who has turned sanely. That's because Jeremy was there to talk me through it, just like he was for you. But that's not what I mean. If he didn't love you, he would have let you die. He would never have let you turn."

Natalia blanched and sat down hard on the stool at the counter. Elena sat next to her, taking her hand gently, "I know you're angry and hurt, all I'm asking is that you give some thought as to why Jeremy didn't tell you about our family, and why I might be here, asking you to come to StoneHaven."

Natalia sat, staring down at their joined hands for a long time, contemplating her words. Was she supposed to just forgive Jeremy for his lies? How could she ever trust him to not let her get hurt again?

 _He protected you from Nathaniel…and during the battle, he kept you safe in the panic room…he nursed you after Nathaniel attacked you…he's sweet and kind…_

Her mind threw arguments at her, confusing her emotions. She stood and grabbed her wine glass from the living room, pouring another glass for herself and turned to Elena, "You want some?" she offered.

Elena nodded, "Just water please."

Natalia handed her a glass of water and walked over to the living room, sitting down on the couch with a sigh. Elena joined her after a moment, tucking her feet under her. She looked around at the cottage and smiled, "This is a beautiful home. Why did you choose Ireland?" she asked.

Natalia sighed, "I've always thought it was an amazing country, so lush and wild. It appealed to my wild heart." She smiled, "I think that's why I loved StoneHaven, it's so…wild. But it's this controlled wildness, like a storm-waiting to happen."

She shook her head, "I just want to be happy Elena. Is that really so much to ask?" she asked wearily.

Elena shook her head, "Happiness is a hard thing to have as a wolf. Especially with Mutt status." She shrugged delicately, "Word has started to spread of another female wolf. You aren't going to be safe for much longer."

Natalia froze and then nodded. "How much time do I have before others come?" she asked, sipping on her wine.

Elena shrugged, "I can't predict it…but Karl informed us that his connections have spread word that there's a female wolf in the UK. That was three weeks ago. If I found you, they will too."

Natalia sighed and ran a hand over her face, "So I guess I run again." She shook her head, "God, what do I do now?" she asked Elena.

Elena smiled, "I think you know what you need to do." She smiled wryly at the other woman and sipped on her water, watching as Natalia thought about her words and then gulped down her wine.

She frowned and stood, "I'm heading to bed….I'm sorry I don't have a spare room for you. I'll get some sheets for the couch."

Elena smiled, "That's not necessary. This blanket is fine. Get some rest and we'll talk in the morning." She stood and embraced Natalia gently, holding her for a moment, "He loves you Natalia. More than life. He's wasting away without you."

Natalia nodded as she pulled away, her eyes full, giving Elena a shaky smile. She went to her bedroom and stripped, digging in her closet until she found the storage container that held Jeremy's sweater. Pulling it out, she tugged it on over her head and crawled into bed.

Inhaling deeply, she curled around the extra pillow and cried quietly. She missed Jeremy, terribly. She was angry and hurt, but she found that the pain was lessening, giving way to reason and knowledge from Elena.

Sniffling, she hugged the pillow closer and listened as the storm slowed, her heart aching with loneliness.

* * *

Four days later Natalia was packing up the last of her belongings with Elena's help. They were planning on having them shipped back to StoneHaven, where Natalia would return to. It had taken the last few days for Natalia to agree to come back, and she was still unsure she was making the right decision.

When she and Elena were attacked by a group of Mutts in the middle of transferring boxes from the house to the moving truck, Natalia's decision was solidified.

They fought desperately, side by side, limiting their injuries as much as possible until the last of the Mutts were run off or killed. Elena and Natalia dragged the bodies out of the driveway and into the small shed on her property, going inside to dress their wounds and dispose of their bloody clothing.

Elena grabbed Natalia's arm, "You understand now why we have to go back?" she asked urgently.

Natalia nodded, wiping away a strand of damp hair, "I do. Let's get the hell out of here."

They packed up the last of the boxes and clambered into the truck, driving to the private airport that Elena directed them to. Karl had a private plane waiting and the pilot and crew helped them load the plan with Natalia's belongings.

The two women sank down into the cushy seats and sighed, grateful to be safe. Within thirty minutes they were in the air, flying back to StoneHaven.

Natalia watched the clouds beneath them and felt her heart rise in her throat. She was excited, scared, worried, hopeful….terrified that seeing Jeremy would end in disaster. But she knew now that her life wasn't the same, and that the Pack offered safety.

She watched as the light faded from the sky, the sun slipping behind the edge of the earth. Natalia fell asleep slowly, tugging the collar of Jeremy's sweater up to cover her nose, inhaling his scent as she fell asleep.

* * *

When Natalia woke, she looked around in confusion, she was no longer on the plane, but in a car…and there were trees slipping by that looked familiar, trees that looked like the woods of New York.

Sitting up, she groaned as her stiff neck protested, rubbing it. She looked over and saw Karl Marsten driving, and when she looked in the back, Elena was sleeping. Turning back to Karl she asked softly, "Are we almost there?"

He nodded, "Five minutes." He glanced over at her, noting her pale face, and asked, "You alright?"

Natalia nodded, "Fine. Just tired. And anxious. How…how is he?" she asked softly.

Karl sighed, shaking his head. "Not good. He's relegated much of the tasks for running the Pack to Clay and Nick. I assist him as much as I can. But he refuses to come out of his work room, Elena has to bring him food, force him to take runs. He's not the same man."

Natalia felt a pang of hurt, knowing that Jeremy was in pain. "Does he know I'm coming back?" she asked softly, her voice laden with pain.

Karl looked over at her and sighed, "No. We thought…it would be better this way."

Natalia nodded, turning to look out the window again. StoneHaven came into sight, and they rolled through the gates. Her heart pounded and her stomach roiled as they parked. After a long moment she took a deep breath and opened the door, stepping out and staring up at the window to Jeremy's work room.

She saw a form move, brushing aside the curtains, and then she saw his face, peering at her through the shutters.

Her heart lurched and she closed her eyes for a moment, taking a steadying breath.

When she opened them, he was gone.


	10. The EndThe Beginning

_**AN: Hey guys! This is the last chapter- so please review and let me know what you've thought! I really really would appreciate it! I hope you've enjoyed the story and I thank you for following/liking/reviewing.**_

* * *

Elena took Natalia's hand, smiling gently at her. "Why don't we go inside?" she asked. Natalia nodded, shouldering her bag higher and then remained staring at the house. What if Jeremy was angry, and saw her as a Mutt?

He would be well within his rights to kill her for coming back. He was Alpha, and had to protect the Pack. The attack on her and Elena would have drawn attention to the Pack; put them in the crosshairs for danger again.

"Come on Natalia, it's going to be ok" Elena murmured. Natalia nodded, smiling shakily before following her up the stairs and into the house. Immediately she could smell the distinct scent of Elena and Jeremy, and then two other males…one was probably Clay, Elena's husband, and the other Nick, the son of Jeremy's best friend.

She hadn't met either of the men, and was worried about how they would react to her presence. When Elena turned into the study, Natalia followed her. There were two men standing there, both incredibly handsome, each in their own way.

The larger of the two, muscular and tawny haired stepped forward and took the bags from Elena, frowning at her, "You shouldn't be carrying heavy bags. It's not good for you" he murmured quietly.

This would be Clay then, Natalia surmised. This meant that the other man, the one eyeing her with no small amount of interest and a touch of attraction, was Nick. Clay turned to her and his frown deepened, "So you're the one that nearly got Jeremy killed."

He took a large step forward, his face menacing. Elena's hand tugged on his large bicep, restraining him, "Clay, no!"

Natalia stepped back, her stomach clenching. "That wasn't my fault. Mutts led by that wizard, Aleister, attacked. They were trying to take revenge for the…the undertaking? And on Savannah. It had nothing to do with me" she glared at him.

Clay grunted and shook his head, "If you hadn't come here, he would never have felt the need to protect you, to put our secret at risk. He nearly died for that, for you. So why the hell did you come back?" he growled at her.

Natalia shook her head, "Because, I couldn't run anymore. There were too many run ins with police, other Mutts, Packs. It's not safe out there for me. Despite how I may feel about Jeremy, or how I did feel, this is the safest place for me. You may not like me for seeking sanctuary here, but it's not your decision to turn me away. You are not Alpha."

She bared her teeth at him in a fierce grin, "If anyone is going to toss me out or kill me for trespassing on Pack territory, it's going to be Jeremy. Not his pup." Clay growled at her and stepped forward, grabbing her by the throat and tossing her up against the wooden frame of the doorway.

"How dare you disrespect Jeremy and the Pack like that. I should rip your throat out" he growled, low and furious.

Natalia shoved at his arms, her eyes burning with anger, "Do it! Be the murderer that everyone calls you."

"That is enough Clay. Release her."

Something inside Natalia snapped, hearing Jeremy's voice after so long and she trembled under Clay's hands. Her gaze never left Clay's face, her eyes wide, her mouth tight, her heart pounding.

Clay gazed at her, seeing the rapid change take place, and realized that this woman loved Jeremy. She was terrified about what was going to happen, how Jeremy was going to react to seeing her. He nodded, and released her, stepping back and turning to face Jeremy.

He hadn't actually seen his father in weeks, Jeremy rarely came out of his room, usually only at night when Elena coaxed him out for a run. What he saw now, frightened him.

Jeremy was pale, ragged looking with dark circles under his eyes. There were more lines around his eyes and across his forehead, and he looked like he had lost weight. Clay felt a sense of panic looking at his father, feeling the urge to protect him, but from what, he wasn't sure.

Jeremy stared at Clay and then sighed, looking, if possible, more tired. "Clay, please take Elena's bags." When Clay moved to object Jeremy shook his head, "Now."

Clay nodded and grabbed Elena's bags, fuming silently. Jeremy turned to Nick and Elena, "Please leave us."

Elena nodded but paused by his side, taking his hand, "Show her your heart Jeremy. She's just as scared and upset as you" she whispered, squeezing his hands softly, brushing a kiss over his stubble covered cheek and then walked upstairs.

Jeremy stood rooted to the floor, staring at the hardwood, breathing in the scent of Natalia, letting it sink in, drawing out the memories of their short time together. The taste of her kiss fleeted over his lips and was gone, replaced by the scent of her blood, the sound of her screams as she turned.

He flinched and closed his eyes.

 _Why did she come back? She should have stayed away…She looks beautiful…She has Mutt status; I'll have to punish her for coming here…no! I cannot harm her…What is she doing here?_

His mind ran in circles until he had a pounding headache. He opened his eyes and raised his gaze to look at her, finally. His heart lurched; she was more beautiful than he had remembered. Her hair had more honey highlights in it from her time in the sun, and her nose had freckles.

But it was the strength that he saw in her body, from running and hunting, from being a wolf, which drew his attention the most. Where there had been soft curves before, now there was lean muscle. She was strong, and more beautiful than he could stand to look at.

Turning away, he walked slowly into the room and stood looking out the window at the lush yard, where flowers and trees were blooming happily. "Why are you here?" he asked quietly.

He heard her short intake of breath before she spoke, "I came because Elena asked me to. She said…she told me that you weren't doing well, and that you needed me." Her words were rushed, she had no idea how Jeremy would react to them.

He remained silent for a long time and then shook his head, "She shouldn't have brought you. She shouldn't have bothered you."

Natalia hesitated and then spoke, "I also came because I've had to move too many times in a year and a half. There are too many people that have suspicions about me, and come looking, bringing danger with them. Elena and I were attacked on our way back, in Ireland, by members of the Pack from Spain. Elena told me that they hate you because you had to kill their Alpha. It seems like your family has faced more violence in one year than most people do in their entire lives."

Jeremy sighed, "That's not far from the truth. We had an incredibly terrible year, which included violence between myself and the Pack from Spain. I am sorry that it spilled over onto you."

Natalia shrugged, "I don't blame you for that. Terrible things happen…and we have to learn to deal with the consequences." She idly rubbed the scars on her shoulder, thinking of the terrible violence that had bred the consequences of her life.

She took a deep breath and continued, "I was angry with you for a very long time for what happened to me. I hated you, myself and every wolf I came across. If I wasn't so busy moving, keeping alive, I might have tried to kill myself. But I couldn't, because no matter how angry I was with you, I knew deep down that I would be back here, seeing you. I didn't know when, or under what circumstances, but I knew that something would bring us back together, and I couldn't bear the thought of it being because I had died. So I stayed alive, but quiet, knowing I would be back here someday."

Silence fell as she stopped speaking, and Natalia stared down at the ground, her stomach in anxious knots.

"I used Karl to follow you, to make sure you were safe. Nick brought you the painting. But I…I couldn't leave. I told you I would leave you alone. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. Every time I knew where you were, I fought myself not to go after you. I had seen how angry you were after the Change, how you thought you were a monster, that it was my fault. How could I ever hope to overcome that?" he shook his head gently.

"When we had word that you had moved to Ireland, Karl also brought word that the Spanish Pack was tracking a wolf they thought was female. I knew we had to protect you…but I couldn't ask my family to put themselves in danger. Elena and I argued about it for days until she finally got the drop on me, drugging my food, and taking off when I was knocked out."

Natalia chuckled softly, smothering it when Jeremy's shoulders tightened. She couldn't see it, but a ghost of a smile was creeping across his face, "Yes, it was quite the trick. When I woke and found her note that she would return with you, I was furious, and terrified. I knew the Pack was coming for you, so I sent Karl after you with a plane."

He sighed and leaned against the window, the muscles in his forearms standing out clearly. Natalia swallowed and looked away. Despite her best intentions, she wanted to go over and wrap him in her arms, give comfort and take it where it was given.

"I'm safe now Jeremy. I'm here and I'm safe" she murmured softly.

Jeremy shook his head softly, "You won't ever be safe, and that's my fault. You were right. If you hadn't met me, your life would be completely different."

Natalia frowned and stepped away from the door, moving over to stand beside Jeremy. She grabbed his bicep and tugged, turning him to face her. She swallowed hard, he was so haggard looking. She smiled softly and tugged him to face her fully.

Holding onto his arm, she reached up and cupped his cheek gently, "I'm safe here. I'm safe because I'm with you. There is nowhere else I would want to be. It took me a year and a half to figure that out, and to figure out that I love you."

Jeremy paled and shook his head, opening his mouth to speak, coming to a halt when Natalia laid a finger over his lips. She smiled, "You're right, my life is changed, forever. But my life would have been so different without you in it. I would have been depressed, alone, forever hiding from the possibilities in life. I had started to feel as though I would never be happy, never have any kind of adventure or excitement in my life, and then I came here, and met you."

She laughed unevenly, tears in her eyes, "My whole world changed. I had happiness, excitement, and a man who fought not just with his body, but with his brain. You shook up everything in my world and it's never going to be the same. I don't want it to be." She squeezed his arm, staring up into his eyes, begging him to let her in.

Jeremy shook under hand. As Alpha, he had the power to bring her into the Pack. That was the easy part. Living together, loving together…that was infinitely harder.

They would have to learn to forgive and understand each other. They would have to learn how to love, as equals.

He took a stuttering breath and reached up, his fingers trembling as he touched her face. His eyes closed at the sensation of it, pure bliss. Natalia breathed shakily, she had yearned for his touch, to be loved in only the way that Jeremy could.

When his eyes opened, they were brighter than before and there was happiness on his face, releasing some of the lines, wiping away the exhaustion. He rubbed her cheek gently and whispered, "Will you stay?"

He looked anxious, waiting for her to answer. Natalia smiled and nodded, turning to kiss his hand at her face, "You won't be able to get rid of me" she murmured.

She felt a hitch in his breath where their bodies nearly met, and leaned up, winding her fingers through his silky hair, brushing her lips against his softly. She let out a satisfied sigh at the contact, her arms wrapping around his neck as their lips reconnected, gently, both of them testing the bond between them.

They clung to each other with desperation and need, hearts beating out a rhythm that was as unique as their love. When Natalia broke away, breathing unsteadily, she touched Jeremy's face gently, smiling at him, "Do you think Clay will always hate me?" she asked quietly.

Jeremy sighed and smirked, "He does it out of love for me. He does not wish to see me hurt, and so those who hurt me, or present danger to me, he does not like. Once he sees how happy you make me, how much I love you, he will understand."

Natalia smiled, "Time will tell I suppose." She tucked her head under Jeremy's and sighed happily when his arms came around her, holding her close. They stood that way for a long time, letting the gentle intimacy begin to heal the wounds that time had inflicted.

Eventually Jeremy stirred, turning his head to gaze down at her, "Would you like to take a walk?" he asked quietly. Natalia nodded and took his hand, following him out to the back yard and onto the path that they had walked a year before.

Then it had been December, wintery and cold. Now it was June, warmth spreading life into the trees, flowers blooming and spreading their enticing scent through the air. When they came to the grove where the gazebo stood, Natalia sighed happily.

It was stunning with the lilacs and the apple trees blossoming, the shiny ash trees glittering in the sun. Jeremy led her into the gazebo and onto the swing, gathering her into his arms. He pressed his lips to her hair and closed his eyes, content.

Natalia's fingers traced over his forearm softly, sending pleasant shivers over his skin. "Is there any ritual that needs to happen for me to be part of the Pack?" she asked quietly.

Jeremy shook his head, "I'll have to notify the organization of Pack leaders that you formally exist, and that you belong to my Pack. We have a long road ahead of us after that. They will want to know how you were turned and how you survived the process."

Natalia nodded, and then asked thoughtfully, "How did I survive? Elena said it was because of you. Is that why?"

Jeremy sighed, "The first Change is terrifying, painful and often deadly. To have someone there who loves you and can explain the process- to help you through it- that makes all the difference."

They sat quietly, speaking of her time away, what she had done, and how she had missed him. Jeremy in turn revealed how he had at first been unable to paint, stricken by the mere sight of his works. Then, it was as though the thought of her possessed him, and painting was the only comfort he had.

When they found they had no more words, they simply held each other, enjoying the quiet.

Later, when they came back to the house, they found the dinner table set and the kitchen bustling with activity. When they stepped in, holding hands and smiling, the activity paused until Elena came over, smiling brightly, and hugged them both.

"I'm so happy for you both" she murmured. Natalia murmured her thanks and squeezed the other woman's hand, conveying a thousand other things that she didn't have the ability to say. Elena nodded at her and turned to the three other men, "Are you boys going to just stand there?" she demanded.

Nick was the first to move, smiling as he swept Natalia into a hug. "It's great to finally meet you, and to have you as part of the family. Jeremy is a lucky man." Natalia laughed and hugged him back, "I'm a lucky woman."

A moment later Karl stepped forward and smirked, "It's good to see you again pet. You're looking much better."

Natalia shook her head, grinning at him, "So do you. We were all looking pretty rough the last time we were together."

Karl nodded and leaned down to brush a kiss on her cheek, "Welcome to the family love."

Natalia smiled at him and then turned, watching out of the corner of her eye as Elena talked quietly, urgently to Clay. He nodded and a moment later stepped forward, his gaze downcast as he approached them.

He looked up at Jeremy and hesitated, then spoke. "I-I'm sorry. I haven't been kind to you or to Natalia. Please forgive me Jeremy."

Jeremy pulled him into a tight hug, "There's nothing to forgive my son. You did and said the things you did because you love me. Sometimes we hurt those we love. Natalia and I, we hurt each other. We've figured out how to overcome that. She is a member of our family now, do you understand?" he spoke firmly at the end, his voice that of the Alpha.

Clay nodded, shifting uncomfortably before turning to Natalia, "I apologize for my behavior, for threatening you. I can see you love Jeremy, and that's all I can ask for." He leaned forward and gave her a tentative hug, "Welcome to the family" he murmured.

Natalia hugged him back, "Thank you Clay. I'm so happy to be a part of your family."

When they parted they sat as a family at the table, Jeremy at the head, Clay on his right, her on the left. He leaned forward and took her hand, smiling.

Looking around the table he smiled, truly happy. "My family. I am beyond happy to have us all here. Times have been harder than ever before, and it seems as though they will not be easy going forward. But together, we will persevere. We will grow-"he smiled at Clay and Elena, "And we will be strong. I love you all. Now, let's eat."

A low chuckle ran around the table, and after Jeremy had taken the first bite, they dug in. Dinner was a raucous affair, people laughing and talking, sharing stories, bickering good naturedly. Natalia was soon drawn into the fray, and began to feel at home quickly.

After dinner Natalia sat on the couch in the study, a small fire chasing away the evening chill. She and Elena were talking quietly about how to decorate the nursery, especially since they weren't sure if the baby was a boy or a girl yet.

Natalia made a thoughtful noise, "Hmm, well why not do it in a theme instead of something that screams a certain gender? Like say-owls, jungle, storybook tales?" she offered.

Elena nodded, "Perhaps not little red riding hood though" she said with a smirk.

Natalia laughed and nodded, "Perhaps not. What about horses? Playing, trotting, dancing, that sort of thing?" she said.

Elena thought about it for a moment and then smiled as Clay entered the room, followed by Nick, Karl and Jeremy. "Darling, what do you think about horses for the baby's room?" she asked.

Clay tilted his head thoughtfully, "Like a cowboy theme? I dunno about that darlin." He looked skeptical and shook his head.

Elena sighed and turned to Natalia, grinning, "You see what I'm working with."

Natalia laughed, "Don't worry, we have months to prepare, and I'm here to help."

The two women bent over their phones, bringing up themes and discussing them, lost in their own world. Nick and Karl sat to play chess while Clay sat by the fire, sipping a glass of whiskey and watching Elena through hooded eyes, his happiness evident.

A moment later the soft strains of piano music echoed through the room as Jeremy played. Natalia lifted her head to see him, head bent over the keys, hair falling into his eyes, his body somehow both tense and at ease as he played.

She had never heard the song before, but it was beautiful, haunting. When it ended Jeremy lifted his head and found Natalia at his side, staring down at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears. He lifted a hand and pulled her down onto the bench with him, kissing her softly.

"That was beautiful, what was it?" she asked.

He smiled softly and kissed her cheek before turning to play quietly, letting the music cover his words, "It doesn't have a name. But I wrote it for you. It's our song."

Natalia sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, "I love it."

As the evening wore on, they chatted with Nick about his club opening, with Karl about the Mutts that were passing him information, and with Clay and Elena about the baby. Eventually Karl bid them all farewell and left the house, precipitating the rest of the group to meander off to their separate ways.

Nick went to join Clay and Elena for a movie, leaving the house quiet and empty. Natalia turned to look at Jeremy and smiled, raising a brow, "Well, we seem to be quite alone. What should we do with all of this…solitude?" she asked.

Jeremy ran a hand over her hair, toying with it softly. He wanted her, badly, but he didn't want to push their relationship now that they were on solid footing. He smiled softly, "Why don't I get us some more of that chocolate cake from dessert?" he offered. That was a nice safe idea.

Natalia stared at him, seeing the worry on his face. She had thought maybe this would happen that Jeremy would be unsettled by the idea of their intimacy, with their relationship so newly repaired. He still looked tired and worn, despite the fact that their reunion had brought him out of his depression and solitude.

"That sounds nice. I'm going to go draw a bath, would you mind bringing it upstairs?" she asked, her voice soft. Jeremy nodded and stood, going to fetch the cake. Natalia went upstairs quickly and hesitated at Jeremy's door.

They hadn't discussed this…but she had sort of thought she would be in his room from now on. When she pushed the door open and saw her bags in his room, her heart lifted. Smiling, she went to the bathroom and began to draw the bath, adding scented salts and a touch of bubbles from Elena's room.

A few moments later there was a noise and then Jeremy poked his head into the bathroom, holding up two plates of cake. "Did you want this now?" he asked uncertainly.

Natalia shook her head, walking over to take the plates and set them on the counter. She took his hands and led him into the bathroom, shutting the door softly. Leaning up, she kissed him deeply, her hand at his waist pulling him closer.

"I want _this_ now" she whispered. Her hands were moving over the buttons on his waistcoat, then his shirt, her eyes locked on his face. She pushed the off his torso, her eyes drawn down to his body, frowning when she saw his weight loss.

"I'm going to have to get you fed" she murmured, running her hands over his chest. His muscles were more prominent now, but he appeared just slightly underweight.

Jeremy grinned softly, "I look forward to it." His breathing became more rapid as her hands slid down his abdomen to undo his pants, pushing them down to his feet. Jeremy stepped out and reached out to touch her clothes, "What about you?" he asked softly.

Natalia smiled devilishly, "Get in first." She pointed to the tub and waited until he was in, his eyes never leaving her. She slowly pulled her shirt off, tossing it aside before unbuttoning her shorts and stepping out of them.

As Jeremy's eyes skimmed over her appreciatively she reached up and undid the clasp on her bra, letting it drop to the ground. When her underwear joined them on the floor, Jeremy's gaze darkened and he reached a hand out, beckoning for her to join him.

She stepped into the tub, sinking down against his chest, her skin shivering with delight. Jeremy pushed her hair aside and kissed her neck softly, his warm breath sending more shivers over her body.

Natalia sighed with satisfaction as his hands began to roam, touching her softly, sending thrills of pleasure through her. When his hands found their way to her breasts, cupping them and rubbing his thumbs across her sensitive nipples, she sighed and shifted against him.

His mouth trailed kisses over her neck and shoulder, tasting her. "I've missed the way you taste" he murmured, nipping at her skin softly. Natalia shifted under his hands, feeling the aching need grow within her.

His hands trailed down her body, pulling her closer, then moving to brush against her warm opening, his fingers teasing there, sliding over her, rubbing against her clit, then moving away, driving her up against him, moaning softly in pleasure.

He continued to tease her, her gasps and soft moans like sweet music. Natalia arched as a wave of pleasure bound through her, gasping out Jeremy's name softly. After a few more minutes she pushed his hand aside and lifted herself up, turning to sit and face Jeremy.

She settled down, feeling his hard length pressing against her and rocked her hips, her breath catching at the sensation. She wiped a hand over Jeremy's face, her fingers tracing over his cheekbones and down to his delicious jaw line, and then his full, expressive lips.

She leaned in and kissed him, winding her fingers through his hair, wetting it and pulling it back. The primal wolf in her rumbled with satisfaction at seeing him so relaxed, under her, and willing. She nipped at his skin, kissing her way down his scruff covered throat to his shoulder, biting him softly.

She rocked her hips again, then again, continuing her slow pace, the water of the tub moving and splashing with her. Jeremy grabbed her hip and moved up against her, his breath tight in his chest, eager to be inside her.

When they were both panting with need and tired of being restrained by the tub they stood, untangling limbs and moved to their bedroom, touching and kissing their way to the bed.

Natalia sank down on Jeremy's lap once more, leaning down to kiss him. He guided himself to her entrance, warm and wet, and slid in slowly, both of them moaning, their kissing become desperate and breathless.

Natalia arched back and began to rock against Jeremy, moaning when he moved steadily against her, his cock hitting deep inside her. She clutched his chest, moving faster, a need gripping her. "Y-yes…yes Jeremy!" she cried out, gasping in pleasure as he met her stroke for stroke.

They moved harder against each other, their bodies connecting in a rhythm as old as time, as constant as the stars, as perfect as their love, as imperfect as life. Their cries of passion filled the room, the sound of joyful lovemaking, of reunion.

When Jeremy began to touch her clit Natalia whimpered and rocked harder against him, begging, "Please Jeremy…more…please."

Jeremy moaned and gripped her hip tighter, driving into her harder, cursing softly. She was perfection and she was his. The sight of her, bouncing, writhing, and moaning on top of him, was more beautiful than any painting he could ever create.

When she came apart on top of him, crying out his name and gripping his shoulder so hard her nails cut his skin, he felt his own orgasm approach like lightning. He continued to thrust for a few more moments and then came with a loud groan of Natalia's name.

He rolled, flipping her under him, drawing her up to kiss her deeply. Her hands trailed down his back, sending a shiver over his skin. He pulled away and rolled to the side, dragging her against him.

Natalia smiled and breathed heavily, tracing her fingers over his chest. "That was amazing" she murmured.

Jeremy nodded and leaned up on one arm to stare down at her, entranced. She smiled up at him, "What?"

He smiled, "I'm just thinking about the future…our future. We have a very long time together, and I want to know what you want…marriage? Kids?" he asked. He grew nervous as her silence lengthened.

Natalia finally sighed, "I want both…but in time. We've just gotten each other back. I want to be with you, and our family that we already have. Is-is that okay?" she asked urgently.

Jeremy smiled, "Of course my love. Of course."

They drew close and whispered of happy things; wedding plans, baby names, how many children they would want, where their honeymoon could be…

Eventually they fell to sleep, limbs entangled and at peace.

* * *

 _Five years later_

Natalia crouched down, hiding behind the gazebo, her heart pounding. She was breathless from running and hiding, and her pursuer was close…

She heard soft footsteps on the grass and peered between the hatches of the wood, ducking back down after a moment. She circled around, keeping the gazebo between her and her pursuer, until suddenly she heard a branch snap behind her, and with a _thud_ she landed face down on the grass.

"Found you momma!" her daughter squealed, tugging on her shirt. Her son ran around the side of the gazebo and tackled them, "Tag! You're it Adalina!" he shouted.

Adalina frowned, "That's not fair! I tagged momma!" she turned to Natalia and pointed to her brother, "Momma, tell Renato that I tagged you!" she demanded.

Natalia sighed, "I think…That you tagged me, and haven't run!" she grabbed Adalina and began tickling her, laughing when her daughter shrieked with delight.

A moment later Jeremy came trotting into the clearing and grinned at the sight of his family. He grabbed Renato and swung him up in his arms, swinging him around, nuzzling his stomach, blowing a raspberry softly.

Natalia picked up Adalina and smiled at her husband, walking over to kiss him sweetly. "Dinner's ready" he told her and the children.

Natalia smiled, "Well then, I think we need to wash up! Come on!" she jiggled Adalina and grinned over at Jeremy, "Let's see who can get there faster!" she called. Taking off running, she swung Adalina onto her back and sprinted towards the house.

Jeremy soon caught up to her, grinning over at her as they ran neck-in-neck to the back door. Natalia broke ahead and ran through the open door, laughing as she and Adalina stumbled to a halt. Clay and Elena were in the kitchen with their young son, Logan, setting the table and turned to grin at them.

Natalia set Adalina down and shooed her, "Go wash your hands and face darling."

She turned to Elena who was heavily pregnant with their second child, and asked, "Can I lend a hand?"

Elena shook her head, "It's all prepared, just get the kids to the table and we'll be set."

Natalia nodded and shooed Renato to follow his sister, grinning when Jeremy wrapped his arm around her waist. A few minutes later the children came running back in, eager for dinner. They all quickly dug in, hungry from their playtime.

Natalia looked around their table, incredibly happy. When she and Jeremy had been together for a year after her return, they had gotten married in a small ceremony at the house- the only outside invitees were members of the Council of Alphas and JoAnne. Jeremy had negotiated hard for her to be allowed at the wedding; the council members had been adamant that her inclusion would endanger them all.

In the end though, the ceremony was perfect, and JoAnne was happy, leaving and spreading the word in town that Natalia was living at StoneHaven, and married to Jeremy Danvers. They had gone to Argentina for their honeymoon, traveling all the way to the south, seeing mountains, beaches and icebergs.

A year later they began to try to have children, and soon found Natalia pregnant with twins. When they discovered she was pregnant with a boy and a girl Jeremy had been nervous and curious. Most human women bore male children to wolves. They had no precedent for a female wolf to bear children.

Now that the children were three years old, they would soon be ready to learn about the Change. They already knew what their parents, aunt and uncle were- but they didn't fully understand that they too would someday change.

They told the children stories, trying to help them understand. By age 10 they would be at the age to change. Natalia was worried; she remembered how much it hurt and couldn't bear the thought of her precious children going through that pain.

Jeremy assured her that the first Change as a born wolf was less painful than a bitten one, but not by much. Besides, by that time, the children would have seen their parents change so many times that they would understand the process and hopefully no long fear it.

After dinner they put the children to bed, both of them exhausted. Natalia and Jeremy collapsed down onto their bed, sighing with fatigue. Jeremy rubbed her shoulders gently, pressing a kiss to her hair, "Thank you for distracting the children so I could speak with the Council and paint. I know you have work to do too" he murmured.

Natalia shook her head, "We're parents Jeremy, it's what we do. We shoulder the load together. Though I'm going to need to spend tomorrow working, so you'll have to distract them when they get tired of playing with Logan."

Jeremy nodded and leaned back, pulling her against him, sighing contentedly, "I love playing with them. They're both so smart and funny…"he shook his head and smiled, "How did I get so lucky? Two amazing children, a stunningly brilliant and gorgeous wife…I'm so happy."

Natalia grinned and tilted her head up for a kiss, "You definitely got lucky. So did I." She listened to Clay and Elena tucking their son into bed and then nuzzled into Jeremy's side, content. Whatever the future had to bring, they would be able to handle it, together.

Many hours later the sound of a child's cry pierced the night, rousing Jeremy instantly. When Natalia rolled over to go to it, he laid a hand on her, "I'll go, you sleep" he whispered. She nodded and snuggled back down into the bed, already back to sleep by the time the door closed.

Jeremy padded quietly down the hall to the children's bedroom and opened the door, finding Adalina sitting up, her stuffed wolf clutched to her chest. He smiled and knelt beside her bed. "What's wrong _caro mio_?" he asked quietly.

Her bottom lip trembled and she whispered, "I had a nightmare poppa. A scary man grabbed me in the woods, and ran away with me." Her eyes shone with tears and the sight tore at Jeremy. He knew it was just a nightmare, but his wolf instincts roused, wanting to fight and protect her.

He gathered her close in his arms and hushed her, "It was just a dream, a bad one at that. Momma and I would never let that happen in real life. We will always protect you, okay?" he murmured.

Adalina nodded, wiping at her face before laying her head down on his shoulder. He rubbed her back for a while until he felt her relax and go limp against him, her soft breathing telling him she was asleep again.

He gently laid her back down and tucked her in, backing away and looking over at Renato to make sure he was still asleep. He watched his children sleep and knew without a doubt that he was blessed, that his life was better for having Natalia in it, and that he wouldn't change a thing about it.

Closing the door behind him he padded down the hall to climb back into bed and pull her close, nuzzling her shoulder. He felt her flinch and a moment later she whispered, "Your feet are cold", her voice rough from sleep.

Jeremy chuckled and slid them away, breathing in her soft scent as he began to drift off to sleep. "I love you Natalia, forever." It was a promise- to be faithful, to be true, and to care for her and their children-always.

She sighed and rolled over in his arms, smiling up at him sleepily, "I love you too Jeremy, forever." She rested her head in the nook of his arm and shoulder and sighed, "Go to sleep husband, tomorrow is another long day, and our children are wild animals."

Jeremy chuckled; her humor about being a wolf was often dry and sarcastic. But she had stood by him for 5 years, through Mutt attacks, Council hearings, and a battle against Aleister that had nearly cost them everything.

He would change nothing about their lives, not how they had gotten here, and not how their future would be. With Natalia by his side, he would be able to handle anything. She gave him a strength he didn't know he had, and pushed him to be a better man and a better Alpha.

They would be together, forever, and their family would stand strong for generations. The world of wolves was changing, but for the better, Jeremy suspected. His children would live to see a better world, one that was kinder and less harsh on their breed, and would be raised by a family that loved them.

He wouldn't ask for more than the abundance he had already been given. He _couldn't_ ask for anything more.


End file.
